


Quiz Ya Later!

by roomiesforlife



Category: Boy Meets World
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Male Character, Closeted Character, Daddy Issues, Estranged Siblings, Financial Issues, Game Shows, Gay Male Character, Gen, M/M, Reconciliation, Romantic Comedy, Self-Esteem Issues, Sibling Bonding, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roomiesforlife/pseuds/roomiesforlife
Summary: Two college guys get the chance of a lifetime when they both become finalists of the popular dating game show Quiz Ya Later! This experience changes their lives in more ways than one.
Relationships: Alan Matthews/Amy Matthews, Jack Hunter/Eric Matthews (Boy Meets World), Topanga Lawrence-Matthews/Cory Matthews
Comments: 62
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! If you're reading this, thanks for taking the time to check out the story :) Before you go on, I want to clarify some details in case there's any confusion.
> 
> 1) It's an AU (or an Alternate Universe). Basically, this story takes place in an alternate version of Season 5 of Boy Meets World. Eric and Jack don't meet the same way they do in the show.
> 
> 2) Since Jack's step-dad and step-sister weren't given names on the show, I decided to give them some. And it wasn't clear in the show whether the last name "Connor" was Jack's mother's last name or his step-dad's. In this story, it'll be used as his step father's surname. 
> 
> Norman Connor = Jack's Step-Dad
> 
> Julia Connor = Jack's Step-Sister
> 
> 3) This story is inspired by the "Singled Out" [4x07] episode. However, the game show in the story "Quiz Ya Later!" is completely made up and a combination of the game shows "Singled Out" (though to a lesser extent) "The Bachelor" and a bit of "Double Dare."
> 
> 4) Jack is 18 years old and Eric is 19 (which doesn't match up with their ages in the show but BMW wasn't consistent with their character ages. This is my attempt at trying to remedy that a little lol)
> 
> Hope this information helps clear things up. Again, I hope you enjoy reading this story because it's been a treat writing it so far! Please leave a kudo and/or a comment if you like it!
> 
> Sincerely,  
> boymeetshitposts

Eric Matthews sat on his parent’s couch, clad in a green bathrobe eating out of a big bowl of Cocoa Puffs. He spent much of the morning glued to the TV, channel surfing for hours. 

“150 channels and there’s nothing to watch!” He complained to himself and decided to leave the channel on MTV while the program was on a commercial break. “Look at me, sitting here in a bathrobe eating soggy cereal for 4 hours. Whoa boy am I bored!”

In a strange turn of events, it was as if the TV was speaking to him: _“Are you at home sitting on the couch eating soggy cereal in a bathrobe?”_

Eric turned his full attention back on the TV, he looked around to check if anyone was in the room and then answered, “Yes.”

The spokesperson continued, _“Are you totally bored out of your mind?”_

“Yes!” Eric answered again.

_“Are you a single good looking bachelor looking to meet a hot babe?”_

Eric’s big brown eyes widened, “Yes I am!” He then walked towards the TV set to kneel in front of it.

_“Are you a lame, loser townie looking for some fun and action?”_

“Hey! Now that’s just rude!” Eric shouted back.

_“Did you just deny that you’re a loser with a capital ‘L’?”_

“I’m gonna change the channel!”

But, before Eric could do that, the spokesperson continued, _“Whatever you do, don’t change the channel! ‘Cause we’ve got a totally tubular game show made just for you! All you gotta do is dial the number on your screen. Hopefully a handsome guy like you can handle that right? So don’t wait too long!”_

Eric fumbled around the living room in search of a piece of paper and pen, he took his Dad’s newspaper and then wrote the number on it.

Alan, Eric’s dad, entered the living room looking very disappointed, “Eric, please don’t tell me you’ve spent the whole day watching TV?”

The oldest Matthews child gave a cheeky reply, “Ok, I won’t tell you that.” He then ripped a corner of the newspaper and then handed the rest of it to his dad. “Gotta go Daddy-O! I have a very important phone call to make!” He announced while running upstairs to his bedroom that he shared with his younger brother, Cory.

Alan proceeded to look at his newspaper, disappointed that a huge chunk of the results of the Phillies game was ripped out. “Damn kids.” He muttered to himself.

Eric reached for his phone and dialed the number. A woman answered in a bored tone, “Hello you’ve reached MTV studios. How may I direct your call?”

“Hi, I’m Eric Matthews! Are you my hot date?” Eric said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m calling to enter the new game show. I’m an eligible bachelor! Oh and I have great hair!” Eric admired himself in the mirror, running a hand through his brown locks.

“Please hold.”

A couple minutes later, a more bubbly woman answered the call, “Hi! I hear you’re interested in joining ‘Quiz Ya Later!’ MTV’s hottest new game show! Please provide us with the following information: Your full name, Height, What university you’re currently attending, GPA, Your favorite subject, and tell us why we should consider bringing you on the show?”

“Before I answer your questions. I gotta say, your voice is sexy!”

The lady giggled, “You’re a very silly boy!”

“Oh no, no, no. I’m not a boy, I’m a total man! It’s really too bad you can’t check out my huge muscles right now.” Eric posed a few times in the mirror.

“How charming! But I’m still gonna need those details!”

“Well, if you insist. My name is Eric Neil Matthews, I’m a solid 6’1 or 6'2 on a good day, I go to uh… hold on... I go to Pennbrook University, my GPA is uh... 7.0, my favorite subject is Lunch, and I should be on the show because I’m a good-looking, intelligent, smart, good-looking, funny, charismatic guy!” 

“Super! What I’m gonna need you to do next is send us a good picture of yourself, you know, like a professional headshot. Can you do that?”

“Baby, I can do anything I put my mind to.”

“Awesome! Here’s the address where you can send us your picture!” Eric writes it down on a notepad. “Thank you for calling us! We hope to see you on the show very soon!”

“Oh I know I’m gonna be on the show, you can be sure of that!”

“We love a confident guy, bye-bye!”

After the phone call, Eric spent the afternoon searching for a quality picture of himself. He had a hard time picking one because he looked great in all of them. He asked his mom, Amy, for a second opinion.

He placed two pictures on the kitchen table for her to observe, the first one was of him in his prom suit and the other was of him dressed in all black with a backwards newsboy hat.

“Remember, Mommy, your choice determines whether or not I get on TV. But hey, no pressure.”

Amy put on a pair of glasses to better observe the pictures while Eric hovered over her, biting his nails nervously.

Amy took her sweet time looking at both photographs and her son began to lose his patience. 

“While I’m still alive!” He whined.

“Alright, alright!” Amy said. “If I have to choose one, then I would go with this one.” She pointed at the prom photo.

“Eww! I look like a child in that one!”

Amy raised her hands in defeat, “Then why did you ask for my opinion?”

“Because I was hoping you would’ve picked the one I liked so I could be 100% sure!”

Amy got up from the table to wash her coffee mug, “Oh, Eric!”

Eric wondered if he should’ve asked his little sister Morgan instead. But that seemed pointless since he knew in his heart the picture he wanted to send. He found an envelope to place the picture in and then went out to mail it. Before slipping the envelope in the mailbox, he gave it a kiss for good luck.

Meanwhile, at a fancy five-star restaurant, Jack Hunter was having dinner with his mother, step-dad, and step-sister.

Jack’s been mustering up the courage to tell his parents an important announcement. Once their meal was served he decided to tell them.

“Mother, Norman, Julia,” He began. “I have some news I want to share with you.”

His mother, Elaine, and his step-sister gave him their full attention whereas his step-dad seemed mildly annoyed by the interruption.

“I’m going to be a contestant on a game show on MTV.”

His mother and Julia expressed their excitement for him and, well... Norman not so much.

“Is this going to interfere with your studies, Jack?” He asked coldly.

“No, sir. The competition will occur after the current semester ends.”

Norman avoided eye-contact with his step-son and continued cutting into his prime-rib steak. “Hmm, I see. And where will this competition be taking place?” 

“In Miami, sir. I’ll be gone for a few weeks, depending on how far I make it.”

“Well, in that case, don’t bring shame to the Connor name.” Norman said in a pseudo-cheerful manner. 

Everyone at the table knew though, that he wasn’t joking at all and continued eating their food in uncomfortable silence. Jack simply nodded at Norman.

It was days like these he wondered what life would’ve been like had his mom never married this jerk. Not that his biological dad was “Dad of the Year” material either but at least his jokes were actually funny.

_Can it be finals week already?_


	2. Chapter 2

“Mail, mail, mail, mail, mail! Where’s the mail?!?” Eric rushed into the kitchen to see his parents sorting out different envelopes. It felt like an eternity since he had sent his head shot to the “Quiz Ya Later” show runners. Although, in actuality, it was about a month.

“Eric, Eric, there must be thousands of guys trying to get on that show. It’ll probably take them months to make a decision, get a letter out…” Alan tried to rationalize to his son but was then cut off.

“Well, looky here.” Eric said smugly as he found the letter he was waiting for. “To Eric Matthews from MT...I can’t make out that last letter, what does it say, Dad?” Eric continued in a bragging manner.

“V,” Alan mumbled.

“What?”

“V!”

“What?”

“How about I kill you?” Alan threatened and Eric stopped his teasing and opened the letter.

“Let’s see here. Dear Eric, congratulations on being selected to appear as a contestant on MTV’s newest game show **_Quiz Ya Later_ **! And please leave your lame pops at home.”

Alan grabbed the letter to see it for himself, “Let me see that,” he read the letter silently, “Wow, they actually put that.”

Amy then reached up to hug her son. “I’m so excited for you, Eric! Imagine that, Alan, our son’s gonna be on TV.”

“Yeah, he’s gonna be seen by millions. Eric are you absolutely sure you’re up to this?”

Eric then responded in a dramatic fashion, “Daddy, I was born to be on the television screen! End scene. Was I good?”

Alan’s taken aback, “Was what good?”

“My acting abilities! What else?”

Alan looked to Amy worryingly, “Well, you definitely took me by surprise.”

“You know, I always seem to have that effect on people. Like I’m a genius among men.” Eric stroked his non-existent beard. “Anyway, time for me to pick out what I’m gonna wear for those weeks away in Miami. How does one dress to go to Mexico?”

Amy tilted her head, “Eric, you told us, many times, that it’s in Miami.”

“And what’s your point?”

“Miami is in Florida.”

Eric let out a big breath, “Oh man that’s a huge relief! I can leave my sunblock at home. I was worried I was going somewhere mucho caliente!”

“Ay caramba,” Amy shook her head. “Please pack some sunscreen, for me?” 

“Of course, if it’ll help you sleep at night.”

“That’s all I ask, now go pack your stuff.”

Eric left the kitchen to go to his room. 

“Is it possible for us, as concerned parents, to pull him from the competition?” said Alan.

Amy rubbed her husband's shoulders, “You need to have more faith in our son.” She then kissed his cheek before leaving him with his thoughts.

While Eric gathered his belongings, he had trouble deciding on some outfits. “What do you think, Cor? Should I go with the maroon shirt that brings out my smile? Or the green shirt that brings out my eyes?”

Cory laid on his twin-sized bed opposite of Eric’s, “Gee, I don’t know. I’m not exactly a trendsetter.”

“You make a point. Could you call Topanga or Shawn over? They’re way less fashionably impaired.”

“I am insulted! You want my opinion? I’ll give ya one.”

“I’m listening.”

“You’re going to a hot beach destination for a few weeks, you don’t need a sweater! You could probably go there in your underwear and no one would be the wiser!”

Eric pondered that possibility, “Do you think they’d let me to do that?”

Cory then took one of his pillows off his bed and flung it at Eric’s face.

“I’ll take that as no.”

“Anyway, didn’t you tell them that you go to Pennbrook? I’m surprised they haven’t caught on to the fact that you’ve never set foot there. You don’t even own a school shirt.”

“You’re right! As long as I shop there, I can honestly say I have attended Pennbrook.”

“Riiiiight. That’s what I said.” Cory simply stared at his older brother, completely baffled.

Eric grabbed his wallet but before he left the room, he turned to his little brother to offer a bit of advice. “Cory, you look out for Mom and Dad while I’m in Miami. Also, I know how you think because I was your age once. So no inviting Topanga over for sleepovers.”

“She wouldn’t come over anyway. She has ‘principles’ whatever that means! I still don’t understand women.”

Eric placed a reassuring hand on Cory’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, you will someday. Just not anytime soon.”

“How comforting.”

Eric went to his car and drove to the Pennbrook campus. It’s a massive campus so it took him a while to find a parking spot. Unsure of where to go, he asked a few students where he could find a school sweater. They directed him to the Student Union building which was quite a walk from where he parked, but enjoyed the scenery on his way there. And by scenery, he mostly meant the college girls.

He opened two wood paneled glass doors that led into the small but cozy building. In an attempt to blend in with the crowd he blurted out, “Hey there, my fellow Pennbrook people! Wassup?” This definitely got everyone’s attention, though they seemed more annoyed than welcoming. 

_Maybe they hadn’t had their coffee yet?_

Eric quickly found the store and picked out a maroon colored t-shirt with the university’s logo on it and ordered a salted caramel frappe. After paying for his purchases, he walked to one of the vacant tables near the café and accidentally bumped into someone.

“Hey, watch it you idiot! Look what you did to my shirt! It’s designer!” shouted a guy a bit shorter than Eric with brown eyes and medium brown hair. A handsome guy but very grumpy and a dash neurotic.

“Sorry, man! Here’s twenty dollars, does that cover it?”

The other guy wasn't amused, “Oh you’re real funny!”

“I know I’m pretty funny but I wasn’t joking. How can I make it up to you?”

“There’s nothing on this Earth you can do to remedy this. Just… go away.”

Eric lowered his head, “Ok, if that’s what you want dude. I’m sorry, again.”

Suddenly a group of jocks approached them, “Hey, Jack, is this creep bothering you?”

Eric turned around and his voice squeaked, “Hey there very large guys!”

Jack responded to his friend, “Nah, Jerry, I got this.”

Eric turned his attention back to Jack, “How about this? I’m gonna be on a game show. Whatever money I win, I’ll pay you for the shirt. I don’t want any trouble.”

“Game show, huh? I don’t believe you, which one?” Jack questioned, staring intently into Eric’s eyes.

“Uh, Quiz Ya Later?” Eric answered, hoping this would be enough for the giant jocks to back off. It’s gonna be hard to win a date with a supermodel and other prizes in Miami if he’s dead.

“Talk about a small world. Looks like you’re one of my competitors.” Jack began circling around Eric like a vulture, checking him out from head to toe.

“Well, in that case. I’m Eric and I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” He stuck his hand out to the other guy. Jack gave a little chuckle before shaking Eric’s hand.

Jack tightened his grip, “Fair warning, I’m very competitive so don’t expect me to go easy on you or anyone else.”

Eric gulped and let out a nervous chuckle, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

With an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed Jack watched Eric slowly back away and head out the door.

“We really should’ve clobbered that weirdo.” One of the football players said.

“Guys, relax, he’s gonna get plenty humiliated on the show.” Jack added with a smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

All packed up and ready to go, Eric brought down his luggage to the kitchen. His family along with Shawn and Topanga were all gathered to wish him well.

“Good luck, Eric. I’m still bitter the show turned me down.” Shawn complained.

“Shawny, we’re still in High School! There was no way you were getting on there.” Cory reminded his friend.

“I still can’t believe Eric managed to convince MTV that he goes to Pennbrook,” said the youngest Matthews, Morgan.

“Oh, Weasel, what can I say? They took one look at me and said ‘Eric, you’re one hot spicy tamale with great hair, you’re in!’ I guess I’m just blessed.” He replied, cooly slipping on his sunglasses while Morgan rolled her eyes.

“Well, I’m happy for you Eric. But I don’t condone lying!” Topanga chimed in, wagging a finger at him.

Alan hugged his son, “Gonna miss you son, best of luck.” Eric thanked his dad and then hugged Amy who told him to call her when he arrives and to stay safe.

“Cory, remember what I told you.” Eric said as the brothers embraced.

“Gotta admit, it’s gonna feel weird not having you around here for a while.” Cory told his older brother. They may have their differences but he’s always looked up to him.

Morgan then hugged Eric and he bent down to plant a kiss on top of her head.

“Hey, Shawn, Pangers, neither of you think I’m gonna leave without giving you love too, right?” Shawn and Topanga each took a turn to embrace him.

Eric picked up his luggage to head for his dad’s car, “Well, see you guys later! I’ll be on TV if you miss seeing my face!” Everyone laughed and waved to him. Alan followed his son out the door to take him to the airport.

In the car, Eric remembered that he forgot to say bye to one other person and he quickly unbuckled his seat belt. Alan said “Eric, we need to get you there on time!”

“I know, I’ll make this quick!” Eric dashed to the backyard and stood outside of his next door neighbor and former teacher’s house, “Mr. Feeny!” No answer, “MR. FEENY!!!” Right on cue, the elderly man opened his back door, “Yes, Mr. Matthews?”

“I’m leaving Philly for a couple of weeks for that game show I told you about. Please look after the kiddos while I’m gone? Oh and I hope you’ll cheer me on!”

Alan honked the horn.

Mr. Feeny said, “I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Matthews. And I’ll be sure to do as you request. As they say in showbiz, ‘break a leg!’”

“Aww thanks! And I hope you break an arm!” Eric said before heading back to the car while Mr. Feeny raised an eyebrow.

Eric was dropped off at the airport, and once it was time for him to board his flight he could hear a familiar grumpy voice.

He turned to his right and recognized that same guy from the Student Union, complete with impressive matching luggage and guitar case, arguing with the gate attendant.

“What do you mean first class is full? I booked a seat two weeks ago!” The guy complained in a very whiny tone.

“I’m sorry, sir, but all of the seats are taken. Perhaps you can find an available one in Coach?” The attendant explained.

“I don’t sit in Coach! I don’t want a free seat when I’ve already paid for one.” He continued.

“Sir, you can either find another seat or you can book first-class for a later flight.” The attendant finished and then went back to announcing the other passengers by row. The upset guy took a seat still fuming.

It was Eric’s turn to board the plane, he put his carry-on bag on the top shelf and took a seat by the window. Once everyone was boarded, he noticed the upset guy decided to try out Coach. No one wanted to share their seat with him so Eric called him over, “Hey, hi! I’ve got one here.”

Student Union guy muttered, “Just my luck. I get stuck with you.”

“Oh, hey, aren’t you the guy who wanted to pummel me?” Eric said.

“No, I’m the guy you spilled coffee all over.” 

Eric mused, “Which one? I’m kinda clumsy.”

The other guy sighed, “Nevermind. I’m gonna take a nap.”

“Ok! I’m just gonna look out the window and stare at the clouds. They are so cool! I always wondered how they taste don’t you?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m gonna need some quiet, if you don’t mind.”

Eric whispered, “Oh, right, sorry! I’ll be very quiet!”

Needless to say, Eric was the complete opposite. Jack prayed that he would be knocked out for the entire flight. However, for the next three hours, Jack would be entertained by Eric’s random jokes and anecdotes that had no point to them.

He couldn’t take another minute of it, “Look, dude, it’s been a long day for me. And, no offense, but if you’re gonna be telling me all of these asinine stories please have a point to them.”

“Well, I mean, it’s pretty straightforward. The chicken crossed the road and he got to the other side just fine. There’s nothing deep about it, unless you want it to be?”

This explanation, if you can even call it that, wasn’t enough to satisfy Jack. In a fit of annoyance, he stuck his face in the vomit bag to give a hint.

“Woah, dude. Are you feeling plane-sick? You want me to call one of the attendants?” Eric said.

“No, but can you please stop talking? My mind can’t think.”

“You coulda just said so! Hello!”

Jack rubbed his eyes, “Unbelievable.”

With an hour left into the flight, Jack and Eric fell asleep at some point. Though, when they woke up and were about to land, Eric noticed that the other guy had his head rested on Eric’s shoulder. Eric didn’t want to wake the guy but needed to since the passengers were starting to leave.

He gently poked Jack’s chest a few times, “Hey, hey! Wakey-wakey! Eggs and bakey!”

Jack mumbled, “Five more minutes, Mom.”

Eric couldn’t resist laughing, “I’m way too young to be your mom, dude. C’mon we gotta get going!”

Jack groaned and begrudgingly got out of his seat, took his bag out of the shelf and Eric followed suit. Once out of the plane, they headed to baggage claim to get the rest of their stuff and then decided to have lunch together.

Jack mindlessly stirred his black coffee while Eric ate his sandwich, “Is the coffee bad?” He asked.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s fine I guess. Just really tired, couldn’t sleep.”

Eric wanted to tease him about getting all comfy on his shoulder but decided against it. Maybe later.

They continued eating their lunch mostly in silence and once they finished, they took a cab to a hotel. The hotel only had one vacant room left with two twin beds.

Jack wondered if this was a cruel joke. “Ma’am, how about I sleep out here in the lobby? I cannot stand to spend one more second with that guy. If you dealt with him for three hours, you’d understand.”

“Sir, I’m afraid I cannot allow that. Our establishment will not be held responsible if your belongings went missing.”

“I’ll take that chance!” Jack blurted but then paused, “What am I saying?”

“C’mon, grumpy head, it’s only for the night.” Eric said.

Jack looked up to the ceiling, “Why? Why me?”

Any answers he was looking for from the man upstairs was going to have to wait. The hotel hostess checked them in and Eric grabbed his bags and walked into their room. Jack grabbed his own bags and followed the guy who’s been an absolute nuisance to him.

Once in the room, Jack took out a change of clothes and grabbed one of the hotel towels to take a shower. “Listen, uh, dude, I’m gonna take a quick shower and then try to sleep. I can’t be on TV tomorrow looking like a zombie.”

“Eric! My name is Eric! We’ve pretty much spent the entire day together and whether you like it or not we’re gonna be seeing a lot more of each other. Might as well be on a first name basis.”

The other man looked down for a bit, then looked up to face Eric, “I’m Jack.”

Eric smiled, “Like Jack in the box? I love that game!” 

Jack feigned a smile, “Yeah.” He didn’t hesitate to head for the shower which was the most peaceful time he’s had all day. Eric entertained himself by checking how bouncy the beds were, he then shouted, “I call dibs on this one! It’s nice and bouncy!”

Jack came out of the shower in a towel, “Sure, whatever. And can you stop doing that? It’s gonna, you know, make it less bouncy.”

Eric ceased his jumping, “I see your point.” He then whistled, “Woah, how did you get those?” Eric pointed at Jack’s six-pack.

Jack shrugged, “Lots of carbo-loading and working out.”

Eric looked down at his own abs covered with a gray shirt and asked, “How come you don’t look like that?” Jack chuckled, when Eric wasn't being a pain in the neck he could be pretty adorable.

Jack decided to play nice for once, “How about we hit a gym sometime and I give you some pointers?”

Eric hopped off of his bed, “Really?” And then went to embrace Jack.

“Yes, really. And, uh, you’re hugging me.”

Eric quickly let go, “Uh, sorry, dude. How about them Phillies?”

“What about them?”

“I have no idea. I think I should go... hit the shower.” Eric then reached for a hotel towel of his own. Once he left the room, Jack began changing into his sleep clothes, but Eric briefly came back to get something. Jack quickly hid behind his bed, “Dude! I was changing!”

Eric turned away, “Sorry! I forgot my ducky!” And ran back to the bathroom.

Jack finished putting on his pants, “God, can this night be over?”


	4. Chapter 4

It took a while for Jack to finally fall asleep, mostly because his roommate had the TV on some cartoons. And the sounds of Eric’s laughter kept him up all night. Eventually, they were both able to get some well needed shut-eye.

Next morning, Jack was the first to get up. He made the most of his few Eric-free hours to complete a 30 minute work-out, take a shower, iron his clothes for the day and have breakfast. The phone rang and Jack picked it up, it was the hotel concierge giving them a wake-up call. Jack really enjoyed the time to himself but they both were expected to be on-set in an hour. So, begrudgingly, he gave the sleeping guy a gentle shake.

The touch made Eric giggle, “Stop it you naughty girl!” 

Jack felt nauseous all of a sudden and then shouted, “Get up! We need to check out!”

And as if Eric couldn’t be any weirder, the shout jolted him awake and he saluted, “Sir, yes, sir!”

“Um… at ease Private.” Jack said in a befuddled tone. He then kept tabs on the time to make sure Eric got ready promptly. Their ride was arriving soon to pick them up and take them to the studio. Eric couldn’t waste any time.

With all their stuff packed, they both went down to the lobby but something caught Eric’s attention.

“Jack! They have an Arcade! Let’s play a few games!” He exclaimed and jumped.

“No! We have a schedule to keep and I intend on doing so!” Jack chided.

They were causing a bit of a scene since some of the hotel guests were staring at them. Jack gave a forced smile, “Apologies, he has a disorder. He thinks he’s nine.” He then grabbed Eric’s hand and then responded to him in a soft tone, “C’mon, I’ll, uh, get you some ice cream if you come with me.”

Eric clapped his hands excitedly, “Ooh yay! I want Rocky Road!”

That seemed to work because it got him to forget all about the Arcade and they waited for their ride. Not too long later, a sleek black stretch limousine pulled up to them, the dark window was rolled down, “Are you Mr. Matthews and Mr. Hunter?”

Jack was about to answer the man but was cut off by Eric, “Yes, that’s me! I’m with him!”

The driver opened the door for both guys and they entered. After he closed the door, the chauffeur took his seat behind the wheel and began driving.

“Oooh man, this is the first time I’ve ever been inside a limo. This is so cool!” Eric proceeded to pour himself some club soda and offered a cup to Jack.

“I’ve seen better.” Jack commented on the limo and accepted the drink.

“Ohhh, now I gotta know. How many of these bad boys have you been in?”

Jack replied smugly, “A few.”

Eric simply chuckled, “You probably got the ladies wrapped around your finger, eh?” He playfully nudged and winked him.

Jack brushed off the area where Eric’s shoulder touched his own, “Yeah, totally.”

“I’m quite the hottie where I’m from.” Eric boasted.

“Is that so?”

“Oh yeah! It’s like everywhere I go I hear, ‘There’s Eric Matthews, good looking guy.’”

Jack tried to conceal his laughter, “Mmm hmm.”

“In fact, I might go into espionage as a career. There aren’t enough good looking secret agents out there. Or I’d be a Senator. What about you?”

“Me? I only have one goal in life: make lots of money and be filthy rich.”

Eric laughed, “That’s two things!” Jack raised his eyebrows for a few seconds but then just shook his head. Eric continued, “You should join me then! The CIA would take care of us both for life.”

“Thanks, but I prefer to work alone.”

“That’s cool, I get that. You’re the ‘Lone Wolf, Jack…’” Eric’s voice trailed. “Now I feel bad. What’s your last name?”

Jack took a sip of his club soda and said softly, “Hunter.”

Eric's eyes widened hearing that, “Oh my gosh! I know that name! Do you know Shawn Hunter? He’s best friends with my brother Cory.”

Jack practically froze when he heard that name. “No, no I don’t. Hunter’s a pretty common name.” His mind started wondering how his half-brother was doing.

Before the shame and guilt could really sink in, the chauffeur announced to the guys that they had arrived. Jack didn’t wait for the door to be opened for him and quickly got out of the vehicle. His eyes squinted at the intense sunlight while his body readjusted from the cool AC of the limo to the intense Floridian heat and humidity. 

Eric excitedly pointed at the huge MTV sign on the tall gate that guarded the buildings. The chauffeur spoke into a walky-talky and the gates opened for the guys. 

“Wait! What about our stuff?” Eric asked.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll take them to the beach house where the contestants will reside in.” The chauffeur answered.

“Beach house! Could this trip get any sweeter?” Eric said to himself out loud.

A redheaded woman with a headset and clipboard walked up to Eric and Jack. “You both need to go to hair and makeup with the other contestants. You all will get notified when it’s time to get on stage.”

A golf cart arrived and they all stepped in. On the way to the studio, Eric and Jack got to see some ‘TV magic’ happen and passed by various studios. Eric could’ve sworn he saw a sign for one of his favorite cartoons “Rocko’s Modern Life.” Jack didn’t seem nearly as excited, his mind was still on other things.

“Jack, for a guy who’s about to make his TV debut, you don’t seem too happy.”

Jack forced a toothy grin, “Don’t you see my big smile?”

Eric didn’t buy it, “Honestly? You’re kinda creeping me out.” The other guy returned to his frown.

“Aw, let’s turn that frown upside down!” 

“Please don’t.”

The golf cart came to a stop in front of one of the many studios, “Alright boys, we’re running on a tight schedule. You,” She pointed at Jack, “You’re coming with me.” And then she called for someone else to assist Eric and the two went their separate ways.

About 2 hours later, it was showtime. They did a good job of making Jack look ten times better than he already did, when he looked at his reflection he almost wanted to kiss himself.

One of the hair and make-up workers told him, “Has anyone ever told you this? But you look a lot like one of the Lawrence brothers.”

Jack blushed, “Well, I have been told I look and sing like Joey Lawrence.”

Another worker added in, “No way! You look more like the middle one!” The other workers continued to fuss and swoon over him.

He turned on the charm, “Ladies, ladies. There’s plenty of me to go around. And, besides, I’m better than all three of them.”

Jack wasn’t the only contestant in the very cramped dressing room and the other guys were pretty ticked off by all the attention he was getting.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’ve been told I look a lot like Jonathan Taylor Thomas! Like, even my name is very similar to his.” A contestant, number #17 according to his tag, mentioned but no one paid him any attention.

The show was about to air and after some last minute touch ups, the redheaded stagehand lined up all the guys and directed them all where to stand. “Boys, once we get started, the camera is going to land on each of you one at a time. From there, all you have to do is introduce yourselves and turn on the charm. Got it?” 

Everything was good to go and then the music started playing and the bright studio lights flashed on.

A woman’s pre-recorded voice echoed from the speakers. “Coming to you from MTV Studios, it’s time for ‘Quiz Ya Later!’ And here’s your host, Bill Bellamy!” 

“What’s up! How is everyone? You all tuned in on a great day because one of these lucky 75 bachelors will end up with his dream girl. And let’s introduce her now shall we? She’s a bonafide blonde bombshell but still the girl next door. You can catch her on the upcoming season of Baywatch. Without further ado, make some noise for Brooke Burns!” 

The smoke machine went off as Brooke Burns made her grand appearance on the stage, radiating such positive energy and looking beyond sexy. The sounds of many whistles could be heard along with the sight of several jaws dropped.

She blew a kiss to the audience as well as the 75 college boys that ogled her, “Hey guys!” She said to them and then took a seat on a comfy velvet chair.

“Hey, Brooke, so I gotta ask…” but before Bill could continue, Eric very loudly shouted, “BROOKE! I love you, Brooke! I have your poster in my room!”

Bill turned to the camera and said, “This is the part of the show where we kindly tell our contestants to use their _inside voices._ ” He emphasized this by doing a ‘shushing’ sound in the hopes that Eric would get the message. 

Even though Jack was farther down the line from Eric, he couldn’t resist facepalming at his behavior. Somehow, Eric spotted him and waved at him with a little too much enthusiasm. Jack buried his face and pretended to not see him. Brooke giggled a bit and waved at Eric.

“As I was saying. Brooke, I know you gotta have more than your fair share of admirers. What made you decide to go this route in finding love?”

“That’s such a good question, Bill! I guess I got tired of the ‘actor’ type of guys and I’m hoping to find someone real, you know, more ‘down-to-earth’.” She added, “Oh and someone who will treat me like a Queen of course!” Which garnered her a thunderous applause from the audience.

“Well we’re about to put these guys through the test and find the one to win your heart. First off, we gotta weed out the rejects. We handpicked some questions for you. You gotta be real with your answers, because that’s how we narrow things down.”

“Bring them on!” Brooke said.

Two crew members brought in a spinning wheel with various questions. Bill spun the wheel and it landed on the question, _Study Time? or_ **_Party Time?_ **

“Seems an easy enough one to start with! What do you think Miss Brooke?”

It didn’t take too long for her to answer, “Party Time!” And 5 guys were eliminated, while Jack and Eric stayed on.

For the rest of the show, Bill continued spinning the wheel and Brooke answered the following questions:

**_Gap Guy?_ ** _or Grunge Guy?_

 **_Food Junkie?_ ** _or Fitness Junkie?_

 _If he’s a bad kisser: Dump Him? or_ **_Train Him?_ **

_Is he picturing you naked? or_ **_Is he sensitive?_ **

**_Steaming Hot Cocoa?_ ** _or Steaming Hot Shower?_

 **_Comics?_ ** _or Sports?_

 **_Call you the next morning?_ ** _Or make you breakfast?_

 _N’Sync? or_ **_Backstreet Boys?_ **

On the final question, only one guy was eliminated and the final 10 were determined. The guy who preferred N’Sync said to one of the cameras before leaving, “Joey Fatone’s better! He can do it all!”

Bill joked, “Hey, Joey, it looks like we’ve found your number one fan!” The audience cheered on as the remaining contestants celebrated.

“Alright guys, congrats on making it this far. Letting you know that by next week you’ll really be put to the test. This was a snap, that’s over now. In order to win Miss Brooke’s heart, you will have to pass the tests of _Determination_ , _Discipline_ , _Balance_ , _Honesty_ , _Strength_ , _Humility_ and, lastly, _Intelligence_. I know none of y’all will be the same afterwards. Until next time, I’m Bill Bellamy, and I’ll ‘Quiz Ya Later!’ Goodnight, everybody!”

After the show wrapped up, the contestants were divided in two groups and each one went into their designated limos. Eric insisted on Jack joining his group, he practically dragged him into the vehicle, “Mom always told me to use the buddy system wherever I go.”

Jack replied, “Since when are we buddies?” But Eric didn’t hear him amid the loud chatter coming from the 3 other guys in the limo.

“Hey, what’s up guys? I’m Eric Matthews, a.k.a contestant numero 14!” He pointed at his number tag.

The other three guys in the limo introduced themselves as Jonathan Tyler, RJ, and Austin, with the latter tipping his white cowboy hat. Eric then turned towards Jack.

“And this handsome devil is Jack Hunter, we traveled here together.” Eric said proudly.

“What he means is that we were on the same flight.” Jack corrected, putting on a huge bravado.

The other guys simply looked at them and RJ just shrugged his shoulders. Eric decided that the limo ride was the perfect time to know more about these guys.

“So, we’re from the City of Brotherly Love,” Eric put an arm around Jack. “Where are you guys from?”

RJ showed them a large tattoo on his chest with the words “Los Angeles” surrounded by a halo in black calligraphy. Jack and Eric observed the ink and winced.

Jonathan Tyler said, “I’m from here and there, anywhere really. Wherever I’m most in demand.”

Eric nodded his head inquisitively, “That’s very deep, bro.” Jack scoffed.

Lastly, Austin replied in a southern accent, “I’m from Texas.”

Jack asked, “So let me get this straight, you’re Austin from Texas?”

“Yessir. You know, other people would always look at me real funny whenever I tell ‘em that. Can’t reckon why?”

Jack shot Eric an unimpressed look but, once again, Eric seemed enthralled by anything these guys would say. Like everything was so fascinating to him. Jack couldn’t believe how incredibly naïve and gullible this guy could be.

Once the limo had reached its destination, the chauffeur opened the door, “This is where you gentlemen will be staying.” They got out and saw the other limo had arrived as well. “Your belongings are already inside.”

All of a sudden it was like a Black Friday rush, all the guys stormed into the lavish beach house. And, in a flash, all of the single rooms were taken as well as the larger rooms with 2 beds. Jack discovered the only bedroom left in the house was a smaller room with a bunk bed.

“This is all that’s left!? What else could go wrong?” Jack whined.

Eric walked into the room, “Saw that all the other rooms are full, Jacky boy, guess that makes us roomies.”

Jack sighed, “The man upstairs has it out for me, I swear.”

“I thought they were pretty friendly.” Eric looked up at the ceiling.

“No, you idiot, I meant - you know what? Forget it.” He laid down on the bottom bunk, putting the pillow over his face out of frustration.

“Thanks for letting me have the top bunk. I’m so lucky I got the best roommate!”

Jack groaned in response. He kept reminding himself why he got on this show: Get the girl, get the money. Everything else would fall into place once he reached his goal. He would only have to put up with this goofy doofus for a couple of weeks if even that.

Jack is by no means a praying man, but before going to sleep in his new home, he prayed that he would get through this competition in one piece and hopefully without killing anyone. Because nothing and no one, not even Eric Matthews, would get in his way. 

He would make sure of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack woke up at his usual time of 5:00 am and got himself dressed in a sleeveless tee, running shorts, and a pair of sneakers. He decided to jog along the beach and paused midway through his run to take in the view of the ocean. The air smelt strongly of sea breeze and fresh dew, it had a calming effect on Jack. He needed the calm, especially after that first night at the beach house, his back ached from sleeping on a bunk bed two sizes too small for him. Yet, his roommate slept like an absolute baby. It probably helped that he had a sock monkey as a companion, which Jack noticed when he got out of bed.

Jack continued his early jog. Though his mind began to fixate, once again, on his younger half-brother, Shawn. He felt disgusted with himself for pretending to not acknowledge his own brother’s existence. It wasn’t something he expected to be brought up. One of the main reasons he moved back to Philly was to be closer to Shawn, he just hadn’t yet developed the courage to do so. 

But, in all honesty, what could he possibly say?

_ Hey, sorry for not seeing you for over 10 years! How ya been? Oh and sorry you got stuck with an abusive flakey drunk of a father while I got lucky to have a rich step-daddy. ‘Cause life is totally fair like that huh? _

_ Though, even my rich step-dad isn’t all that great… but hey, he’s got money and that makes it all ok. I have no reason to complain whatsoever. _

Jack returned to the luxurious beach house, Eric was still fast asleep but he could hear the other guys chatting in the kitchen. He gently poked his roommate and whispered, “Hey, Sleepyhead, it’s time to get up. The others are already having breakfast.”

Eric, still in a sleepy state said, “Save me some pop tarts.” 

Jack couldn’t resist a smile, “You got it.”

Eventually, Eric climbed down the top bunk and lifted the lid of his suitcase to retrieve some clean clothes. He then went to the bathroom to shower and change.

After his shower, Eric arrived in the kitchen where all the guys were scattered around. He went to stand beside Jack who saved him the pastry treats as promised. The guys started talking about how to spend their first day in Miami.

Nick, the blond looking-lifeguard suggested, “I’m thinking a day on the beach! Just the sand, surf, and the babes.”

The others nodded their heads in favor of the idea, but Kevin didn’t seem too keen on it, “We can spend time on the beach any other day. We should go sight-seeing!”

Eric chimed in, “Ok, cool! Let’s go to Disney World!”

One of the guys rolled his eyes, “That’s all the way in Orlando.”

“Yeah, we can take the bus or drive there! Who’s with me?” Eric raised his hands for a high five but was left hanging.

Some of the guys looked at him with annoyed expressions and said amongst themselves, “What a moron.” “He’s definitely not gonna last long in the competition.” “Why does that other guy deal with him?”

Jack put Eric’s hands down, “Let’s eat these pop tarts before they get cold, ‘kay?” Eric pouted and took his plate of pop tarts to the couch. Jack got his own plate and sat next to him. 

Jack knew he hadn’t exactly been the most patient with Eric, but the way the other guys talked about him rubbed him the wrong way. 

“Hey, don’t listen to those guys. They’re the idiots," he reassured Eric.

RJ approached them, “Hey, so, the guys decided that each person should just do whatever they want since they can’t decide, like, at all. Like, it’s not that hard, but whateves. Mind if I hang with you two? Unless you got plans?”

“No pla-” Jack was cut off by the sound of the door knocking. One of them answered the door and on the other side was Brooke with a limo driver.

“Good morning guys! Hope you all slept well!” She said cheerfully, while many of the guys fixed their hair and attempted to look less disheveled.

“Hope you don’t mind me dropping in like this, but I’m sure for a lot of you guys it’s your first time here in Miami. So, I talked with MTV about treating you all to a sightseeing tour you’re not gonna forget. Be ready in a half hour!” She then left the house. As soon as she did, the guys rushed to their rooms to make themselves look more presentable.

Once everyone was ready, a limo was waiting for them outside which would take the ten contestants to ‘Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures’.

_ Speedboats? Water adventures? Seeing all the hotties of Miami in their swimsuits? Sign us up! _

Each of the guys were handed a life jacket as they got on the boat. And let’s just say that with a few exceptions from those that got sea sick, most of the guys agreed that touring by speedboats beats a crowded ol’ bus.

Jonathan Tyler, or JT, as he called himself, already began making an ass of himself with his ridiculous demands to one of the workers, “So, uh, dude you got a bar on this boat? You know, ‘cause we, like, want to get shit-faced! You know what that is? Oh and do you…” He went on and on. Jack and Eric pitied the crew member.

Ryan, the preppy blond among the group, asked, “Do you by any chance have Pellegrino or Perrier? I’m parched.” He then pulled out a crisp $50 bill and the crew member happily took it, “I’ll see if I can fetch you some, sir.”

Once the tour was over and the boat pulled up to the pier, the captain received a fax from Brooke and addressed everyone, “Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, there’s a message from Ms. Burns. She’s invited you all for snorkeling.”

Eric quickly put his hand on Jack’s, “I call dibs on him as my partner!” Jack could feel his cheeks heating up and rapidly moved his hand away. The others also paired themselves up.

Jack changed into his navy blue swim trunks in one of the bathrooms whereas Eric had no qualms with changing into his orange trunks in front of everyone. Jack didn’t realize he was staring at his roommate when Eric joked, “What? I’ve got nothing they haven’t already seen.”

“Uh, yeah, fair point,” Jack then felt his heated forehead. Although Eric didn’t have a six-pack like Jack did, he couldn’t deny Eric’s own good looks. Jack paid extra attention to how his roommate’s brown locks framed his delicate face. Suddenly, he started to feel self-conscious about his own brown hair.

The guys lined up and then were handed their equipment. A different boat came by to pick them up from the pier to take them to the drop-off point.

“So, um, you ever done this before?” Jack asked his designated diving buddy.

“Nope, but I’m excited! And it’s something new we’ll get to experience together!” Eric gave Jack’s arm a little squeeze. Jack's feet felt glued to the ground, it was confusing and annoying how Eric had this affect on him - or anyone for that matter.

He was hesitant to dive in the water first, so his diving partner went ahead. “Come on, Jacky boy! The water’s nice!” He then started to playfully splash water at him. 

Jack groaned, “Alright, alright. I’m coming down.”

Both guys were immersed in the nice warm waters while the others had already gone deep into the ocean. They both put on their snorkeling masks, took a deep breath, and then dived down. They stayed near the surface, allowing themselves to get comfortable in the water and then got a supportive grip on each others’ arms and swam a bit further. 

They took in the sights of the different fish and lively sea life. As they swam closer towards the coral reef, they spotted some of the other guys, who waved at them. No one was sure how long Eric and Jack were gone exploring the ocean, but eventually they got a signal that it was time for them to return to the surface. Jack wouldn’t admit it, but he didn’t want their underwater adventure to end.

Eric was the first to reach the surface, and it was nice being able to catch his breath. Until it was taken away again, by the sight of Jack reaching the surface and flipping his hair back in a dramatic fashion. It reminded him a lot of one of his favorite Disney movies, the part when Ariel emerged from her underwater world and the setting sun glistened on her body. Eric wondered if Jack was ever a mermaid in another life? The sun only seemed to enhance Jack’s toned body. Eric splashed some water on his face to break whatever spell Jack or the sun was having on him. He quickly regretted doing so because the salt water stung his eyes.

“Ow, ow, ow,” He yelled while flailing his hands.

Jack swam next to him, “Hey, dude, you alright?”

“I got salt in my eyes!”

“It happens, you can wash it out on the boat.” Jack didn’t realize as they swam back to it, that he had a soft grip on Eric’s hand. Almost as if he was afraid of leaving him behind.

Once they arrived, Eric dashed to the bathroom to clean his eyes. Jack poured them both some club sodas and handed one to Eric when he came back.

“All better?” He asked.

Eric nodded, “Yeah, I don’t know what came over me.”

“Was it that hot for you when you got back up here?” Jack asked.

Eric’s eyes bugged out and he nervously squeaked out, “What?”

“The sun, was the heat hitting you?”

“Oh!” Eric mentally facepalmed himself, of course that’s what Jack meant. “Yeah, it’s really hot.”

The other guys had returned to the boat and were heading back to the pier. The guys went on about how incredible the sights were and agreed to do it again at least one more time before leaving Miami.

“So, Eric, apart from assaulting your eyes, did you have fun?” Jack asked.

Eric chuckled, "I guess ol' Jacky boy has a funny bone after all! And yeah I had a really great time. We make a pretty good team."

Later that evening, when all the guys showered and dressed up for the evening, which took a while considering there were ten of them, they decided to check out the nightlife on South Beach.

Eric and Jack both wore brightly-colored satin button-down shirts, dark jeans, and comfortable shoes. The other guys were a lot more… adventurous with their style choices. 

Carlos wore a simple white tank, baggy cargo jeans with a million chains and pockets, along with a fuzzy bucket hat. Austin, from Texas, wore a handkerchief patterned shirt with blue jeans and blue suede shoes. 

And the rest of them dressed up for a rave. Lots of velvet or mesh shirts, the baggiest pants imaginable, all kinds of neon accessories, and their hair gelled in outrageous ways. Needless to say, Jack and Eric felt underdressed for the occasion.

“Is that really what you’re gonna wear?” Jonathan Tyler asked the four guys not flashing neon. JT didn’t even bother wearing a shirt unlike his companions.

“What’s wrong with what we’re wearing?” Jack looked down at his own outfit.

JT continued, “Nothing wrong with Carlos’ outfit but Austin’s here dressed like he’s about to attend a hoedown and you two look like you stepped out of The Gap.”

Eric perked up, “I love that store! It’s my favorite.”

Jack stormed out the room, “I’m gonna go change.” Within a few minutes he returned in an unbuttoned black shirt over a white tank top and a studded black belt. “Fine, JT. Does THIS get your stamp of approval?” Jack said in an annoyed tone.

JT shrugged, “Eh, it’ll do. ‘Aight let’s go!”

The chauffeur drove them to one of Miami’s hottest clubs,  _ LIV Nightclub _ .

All the guys stepped out of the limo as if they were celebrities and entered into the club with no issues. However, Jack lingered behind, looking nervous.

Eric stayed behind, “Hey, aren’t you coming in?”

“Um, Eric, I’m only 18,” he answered in a low-voice.

“Not sure what the problem is, I’m 19?”

“Eric, they’re not gonna let us in.” Jack pointed to a sign, “It says it’s a 21 and up club only.”

Eric didn’t seem fazed by that, “Jack, jack. Age is just a number, all you gotta do is act like you’re older than you actually are. I do it all the time. Follow my lead.”

Eric sauntered up to the bouncer who asked for some I.D. to which Eric responded, in a pseudo deep voice doing a strange hand gesture, “You don’t need to see any identification. You will let me and my buddy enter your fine establishment.”

The bouncer simply pushed Eric back towards Jack before he could say “oops.” Jack helped his friend up and then said snidely, “Thanks a lot, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Let’s just go back to the house.”

Eric retracted, “No way! We are going to have fun tonight!” 

“Yeah, let’s go to the nearest Chuck E Cheese, that’s the only place we’ll be allowed to enter.” Jack retorted.

Eric smoothed his shirt, “Ok, number one, there’s nothing wrong with Chuck E Cheese! Number two, there are plenty of cool things we can do, you just gotta use your imagination. And number three, if you wanna be a butt then go home.”

Jack listened to what his roommate told him, he couldn’t deny he was right, for once. In his characteristic whiny tone, he responded, “I don’t wanna be a butt.”

“Then let’s really see what this city’s made of! Let’s see what makes Miami tick!” Eric looked deep into Jack’s eyes as he said this. “But, first, tacos!”

It took Jack a minute to readjust to that tonal whiplash. He followed Eric who went up to people asking for the nearest taco place. A local redirected them to a restaurant called  _ Tacos El Carnal _ . Eric really helped himself to the cuisine by ordering a sample of everything on the menu. He shared part of his meal with Jack since he was kind enough to pay for it.

After they finished eating, they decided to stroll along South Beach and the streets bursted with color. Many of the clubs had live music playing on their patios and it felt like such a party out here. It made Eric want to dance.

Jack thought to himself,  _ Oh no _ . He tried his best to keep distance from Eric who circled around him to the music. He then started to shimmy and Jack knew he couldn’t weasel his way out of this, he had him locked. Jack timidly did a simple rocking motion to the beat, but Eric insisted he loosen up.

“Come on, you can do better than that! I want to see some spice in those white boy hips of yours!” Eric exclaimed.

Jack crossed his arms, “I think you’re the last person on Earth to be telling me how white I am.”

“Less talky, more dancey!” Eric pulled Jack into a close embrace and spun him a few times.

He then sang, “Ole, ole, ole! Me soul on fire, feeling hot, hot, hot! Party people, all around me feeling hot, hot, hot… Are you feeling hot, hot, jack, jack, jack?”

“No, but I am feeling a bit nauseous. Must be all that food.” He rubbed his slightly protruding stomach.

“Hmm, ok. I’ll dance for you, you just sit there and watch.”

“Fine by me,” he then went to sit on a nearby bench.

Because Eric has such an alluring personality, many ladies flocked to him, all wanting to dance with the handsome bubbly stranger. Jack felt a pang in his chest, but he brushed it off as a symptom of his overeating.

Tonight was all fun and games, but come tomorrow Jack would have to go back to being cold and aloof. He wasn’t here to have a good time, he was here to win.

But, for now, he would cherish this moment because he knew in his heart, it would be one he’d never forget.


	6. Chapter 6

Brooke left the following voicemail:

_“Good morning guys, it’s Brooke! I hope you had a great time yesterday getting acquainted with Miami on both land and sea. Now it’s time to show me what you’re made of! Today, I wanna see how determined you truly are to go the distance for love. I’ll be coming over at noon sharp, be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen!”_

Next morning, Eric and Jack were the early risers, whereas the rest of them were most likely too hungover from the night before. Even though Jack felt embarrassed he couldn’t get into the club, he was ultimately glad he didn’t. He was able to get a good night’s rest and was fully prepared to kick off the first challenge.

Jack took a look inside the refrigerator to make himself a shake to prepare for the day, he grabbed everything he needed.

“You want one?” Jack asked Eric.

“Ooh yeah!” Eric nodded.

Jack proceeded to make his specialty shake. He used blueberries, raspberries, spinach, and protein powder. Eric, however, was having second thoughts on the shake when he saw Jack add a raw egg.

Jack poured the drink into a glass, the drink came out a very dark green, “Here you go, man. Drink up!” Jack downed the entire thing while Eric took small sips. When Jack wasn’t looking, Eric spit some of the drink back into the glass.

“Is it fine?” Jack asked.

“Oh, definitely. I feel like Popeye!” Eric lied.

Jack’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, “Really? You like it? I know most people can’t stand these things.”

Eric raised his glass to his roommate, “Yeah, dude! I love it!” Once Jack left, he found a potted plant and dumped the rest of the shake in it.

Kevin, Theo, and Carlos made their way to the kitchen.

“Hey guys, any of you in the mood for a shake?” Carlos asked.

“I’ll pass, thanks anyway!” Eric answered quickly and then bolted away from the kitchen.

He made his way back upstairs when he bumped into RJ, “Hey, where did you and Hunter disappear to last night?”

“Oh, we decided to skip the club to eat some tacos and check out the sights. I even danced!” Eric wiggled his hips to emphasize the dancing part.

RJ laughed a little, “Sounds way more fun! The guys drank way too much and acted like jerks. I kinda wanted to leave earlier but I was pressured to stay.”

Eric placed a hand on RJ’s tattooed shoulder, “Hey, next time me and Jack go out, you can totally join us. You know what they say, two’s company but three’s a par-tay!”

RJ simply stood in the hallway, thinking long and hard about what he was just told. Truth be told, it made his head hurt.

_Man, I really gotta lay off the hard stuff. ‘Cause nothing he said made any sense._

Eric entered the room, without knocking, and walked in on Jack putting his pants on. Jack let out a girlish squeal, “Dude! Don’t you ever knock?”

“I’m sorry, I gotta remind myself I’m not back home.” Eric then noticed his clothes on Jack’s bed, “Are those mine?”

Jack zipped up his jeans, “Yep, I laid them out for you. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Wow, you even picked out my favorite shirt!” Eric mused, picking up the bright blue button down.

“I had no idea. Favorite color in 1, 2, 3…” said Jack.

They answered simultaneously, “Blue!”

Eric then said, “Favorite movie in 1, 2, 3…”

Again, they answered at the same time, “Godfather…,” and then followed up with, “Part 2!”

They both looked at each intently, as if they were thinking the same thing. Though, Eric was the one brave enough to say it out loud, “Real talk, are we soulmates?”

Jack rubbed his chin inquisitively, “I wouldn’t know.”

“Huh, interesting. Is that because you’ve already found yours? Or you just don’t realize it?”

Jack avoided looking Eric in the eyes when he replied, “I guess I don’t really believe in that sort of thing.”

Eric could tell Jack was trying to hide something, but simply said back to him, “Yeah, I guess it is kinda silly. A sea of people to choose from and there’s only one person for another?”

Eric took a seat on Jack’s bunk, solemnly resting his cheek on his hand. The subject of soulmates got him thinking about Cory and Topanga. Sometimes he envied what they had, but even he knew better than to feel that way towards his own brother’s happiness. Eric had had plenty of dates back in high school but very few actual girlfriends and many of them weren’t that great.

He must’ve spaced out at some point because he returned to reality by Jack’s hand on the back of his neck. He called out for him, “Eric, Eric, you still with me, man?”

“Sorry, Jack. Yeah, I’m good.” Eric reassured.

“You were out of it for a bit. Not gonna lie, it worried me a little.” Jack admitted.

Both men just looked at each other for a bit until they heard yelling from the bottom of the stairs, “Guys, Brooke’s gonna be here in twenty minutes!”

Eric pulled Jack’s hand away from his neck, “I’m fine, let’s just go.” He got up first and headed downstairs and Jack followed not too far behind.

The limo drove them to a remote location. The contestants had to change into very form-fitting red shorts, like the kind you’d see on an episode of “Baywatch.” The guys were given the option to wear a matching tank top or go shirtless. Once in costume, they lined up on the sandy beach while Brooke sat atop a lifeguard tower in her own red bathing suit and looking good. A camera crew was also stationed there, waiting for their cue to begin filming.

Meanwhile, in the Matthews household, Cory called out, “Morgan! Mom! Dad! The show’s gonna start soon!” He went all out for Eric: he bought snacks, decorated the living room with streamers and balloons, and even made a few signs for his older brother. Amy thought it was a bit excessive but she did help him out since there was no way he was going to get it done by himself. Topanga and Shawn would be coming over in a few minutes to watch.

“Cool it, Fuzzhead! I’m coming down!” Morgan replied.

“I still can’t believe it! Eric, our Eric’s, on TV!” Amy gushed.

“Yeah, on TV, with possibly millions of people watching him. I don’t know if I should be excited or terrified,” Alan added. His foot nervously tapped the floor and his hands were balled into fists.

Soon enough, Topanga arrived with more snacks and not too long after, Shawn entered. The two sat between Cory on the couch. Once the show began airing, Cory hushed everyone and his eyes were glued to the TV. When the camera was fixed on Brooke Burns, he shouted, “Eric you better win! I wanna meet her!” 

Topanga shot her boyfriend a glare.

Cory held his girlfriend’s hand, “I’m sorry dear, we both can meet her!”

“I’m a lucky girl,” she responded flatly.

Everyone in the room cheered when Eric was on the spotlight and he waved. Amy blew kisses and Alan, still tense, said “That’s my boy! Please, god, don’t embarrass him.”

Shawn noticed a familiar face in the crowd, one that he hadn’t seen in several years. He immediately got up from the couch and headed for the door.

Cory said, “Hey, Shawny, where are you going? You’re gonna miss the show!”

Shawn had his hand on the doorknob, “I remembered that my Dad needed help with something. I gotta go, you guys enjoy the show. And Good Luck to Eric.”

“But Shawn!”

He was quickly out the door and Cory couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Even Topanga felt it too.

Dressed in khaki bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, Bill kicked off the show, “Hello all! How ya’ll doing?” 

The beachgoers responded “Good!”

“Alright, that’s what I like to hear! You know, Miami is known for its picture-perfect beaches, am I right?” The crowd clapped and cheered in agreement. “Which leads us to our first real challenge, the ‘Determination’ challenge. And what better place to test this out than at the beach?”

Brooke looked over the ten guys standing in line, “We just started and this is already my favorite challenge!”

Seeing Brooke in her Baywatch bathing suit up close definitely had Eric biting his lower lip. But then the sight of a shirtless Jack made him want to bite his upper lip, if it was possible.

Bill continued, “As I’m sure you are all aware, Brooke’s gonna be in the upcoming season of ‘Baywatch’ and for this challenge, you are gonna show us if you can keep the same pace as those lifesaving hotties.”

Brooke asked the men, “I’m sure you know how we run on Baywatch, right? In slow-mo! That’s gonna be your challenge today.”

Jack thought to himself, _The challenge is running? This is gonna be an easy win for me, might as well hand me the victory now._ He warmed-up by doing some stretches and got Brooke’s attention by doing one-handed push-ups.

Bill explained things, “If you guys think running in slow-mo on a beach is easy, I got news for you, it ain’t. I tried it earlier myself and face planted on the sand at least 6 times. Also, we’re gonna do everything to make this even harder for you. You’ve got a lot of obstacles here including strong winds brought to you by those gigantic fans on the boardwalk. We’re also gonna have a lot of obstacles popping up at random moments. Keep in mind that you’re on lifeguard duty and a lot of these obstacles are gonna be random people (cardboard cutouts), so please don’t step on them!”

He turned to the ten contestants, “With that said, you boys think you can handle this?”

The guys puffed out their chests, some flexed their pecs, and others simply shouted “Yes! Let’s do this!”

Brooke was given a small empty pistol, and then shot the blank into the air. The boys were off, in a slow fashion, that is.

Bill mentioned, “Remember, anyone who starts at a normal pace gets an automatic disqualification!”

The huge fans blasted on and the task became more difficult as many of the guys stumbled over themselves and fell a lot. For every fall, they would pick themselves up, do a silly taunt at the crowd, and then continue their snails’ pace. Then both Bill and Brooke cued in the cardboard cutouts of various people and dogs, which led to more tripping and falling.

Jack kept a good pace and hardly had any slip-ups. Eric, on the other hand, probably fell the most but he was determined to keep going no matter what. He didn’t care if his feet hurt and that he had to crawl and roll several times to get up.

Despite all of the obstacles in his way, Eric’s biggest one was Jack. His roommate was absolutely killing it with his agility and his body was too much of a distraction as well. At one point, Eric wondered if it was Jack who bumped into him, he hoped it wasn’t.

“C’mon guys, stay on your feet! You’ve got a lifeguard from Baywatch to impress!”

They were nearing the finish line, Jack was in the lead, followed by Austin, then Ryan, while Eric and JT fought for fourth place.

JT picked up the pace to beat Eric only for Bill to blow his whistle to signal that JT was disqualified from the race. In a fit of anger, he punched one of the cardboard cutouts, which happened to be of David Hasselhoff. 

Bill blew his whistle again.

“What now!?” JT yelled.

“That’s for attacking the ‘Hoff!”

“Oh, whatever man! I could run circles around that dinosaur!”

Brooke shook her head disapprovingly and then stepped down from her tower. She whispered something in Bill’s ear and he nodded.

“The results are in! Coming in first, we have Jack! Coming in second, is our boy Austin! In third place, we got Ryan!” Who seemed to get a lot of fanfare, “...and then in fourth place it was a tie between JT and Eric. But due to JT’s bad ‘tude, Eric takes the final spot. Ms. Brooke has decided that JT be removed from the competition entirely. So, that means our current finalists will not have to undergo a sudden death challenge.”

The other guys, Theo, Kevin, Nick, Carlos, and RJ all fell to the sand with relief etched on their faces. Brooke stepped aside for a moment and then returned with a locked box.

“Guys, in this box, I keep special shells that I will hand out to you each week. Normally, I would do this during the elimination ceremony, but since JT has shown what a complete jackass and sore loser he is...” She then took a shell from the box, which had a chain attached to it, twirled it over her head and then tossed it into the ocean.

She then called each guy over to her, one by one, “Jack, will you accept this shell from my heart?” He said yes and then she placed the shell necklace over his head.

She did the same for the remaining guys and the last shell she had saved was for Eric.

“Eric, will you accept this shell from my heart?”

“Of course, Ms. Burns.” He then kissed the shell that adorned his neck.

Brooke couldn’t help but give Eric’s cheek a little pinch, “You’re just too adorable.”

The cameras cut back to Bill who now held a coconut in one hand while the other held the microphone, “Our time’s up for today, but tune in next week as we test the boys’ ‘Discipline’. Anyway, the sun’s starting to set, so I’m gonna find me a hammock and enjoy my piña colada. Until next time, I’m Bill Bellamy and I’mma ‘Quiz Ya Later!’ Good night everybody!”

The beachgoers applauded and cheered after Bill made his closing statement. Once the cameras stopped rolling they continued with their day and the boys were starting to feel the after-effects of the race. They held each other as they limped to the limo while others had to be carried.

“Dude, limo driver dude, do you have an ice bucket for my feet?” Nick asked.

“Make it a triple,” added Carlos.

Everyone in the limo, besides the driver, were in complete agony. But Jack seemed in fairly good condition, which really got under the boys’ skin. Eric practically dozed off on Jack's shoulder.

Whispers of, “What a showoff”, “How is he not hurting?”, “That other guy must’ve been helping him!” and “I noticed Brooke checking him out earlier,” could be heard. Jack started to feel uneasy around them.

If there’s anything he’s learned from his step-father is that he was bound to make enemies if he was ever gonna reach the top.

He could even remember his exact words:

_That’s the Connor way, turn your face away. And always look up, never down so you can’t see those you’re stepping on._


	7. Chapter 7

Jack tried to get a good night’s rest but was unable to. He overheard the disdain of his housemates. Nonetheless, Jack continued his morning routine. He changed into his workout attire but instead of going for a jog, he grabbed his Nokia 5110 cell phone and dialed a number.

“Connor residence. Who is speaking?” A familiar yet warm voice answered. It was the Connor family’s housekeeper, Shelley.

Jack smiled a little, “Hey, Shelley. It’s Jack, how are you?”

“I’m doing alright, how about you? How has being on the game show been? Looks like a lot of fun!”

“Oh yeah, I’m having the time of my life! Everything’s fine with me, though. Thanks for asking. Is, um, Norman busy?”

“Mr. Connor is in his office, if you wish to speak to him?” 

“Yeah, I need to talk to him if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Jack. I’ll go ahead and do that for you. Take care, dear.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Jack waited on the line a couple of minutes until he heard a familiar but cold voice.

“Yes?”

_ Geez, not even a ‘Hello’? What did I expect? _

Jack stuttered as he addressed his step-father, “H-hi, Norm. H-how’s it going? How’s Mom?”

Norman gave an annoyed grunt, “We’re all doing just fine. Did you need something Jack?”

Jack never liked the way Norman would say his name, as if it were some sort of curse word.

“Well, sir. I’m… Let’s just say I’ve made some enemies during my time here. And, uh, I’m not sure how I should handle it. Any advice?” 

Norman let out a laugh but then his tone grew serious, “Jack, you’re bound to make some enemies. It means they are threatened by you which is good. You don’t want anyone to think you’re soft. My advice is to ignore them because you’re there to win, not make friends. Understand?”

_ Ugh… the dreaded “understand.” As if I’m a total idiot that can’t follow directions. And really? Ignore them? Like that hasn’t crossed my mind at all! God, I’m sure even Eric could’ve given better advice or one of those over-the-phone fortune tellers or better yet, a freaking fortune cookie! _

“Yes, sir. I understand. But…” Jack’s voice lowered.

“But what?” Norman insisted.

“There is this one guy... he’s my roommate and, well, he can’t get enough of me, sir.”

“And? Ditch him. Like I said, you’re not there to make friends, Jack.”

Jack’s voice cracked, “Yeah.”

“That’s a smart boy. I’ll see you soon, but don’t bother coming back if you don’t win.”

Jack knew him well enough to know that it was a joke so he pretended to laugh. But he also knew that there was some truth in it.

Norman hung up first, without so much as a ‘Goodbye’ or even a ‘Good Luck.’

Eric entering the room lifted his spirit a bit.

_ Those dang brown puppy-dog eyes. They’ll be the end of me, I swear. _

“Hey, roomie! Didn’t mean to interrupt, just wanted to get my shoes,” said Eric.

“It’s fine, just had a very riveting talk with my stepdad.” Jack said, feeling foolish for even thinking Norman would actually offer comfort.

“That’s cool, I would love to talk to my dad. See how everyone’s doing. Don’t have a phone though and the other guys hog up the only phone this house has.” Jack could tell how much Eric missed his family. It actually pained him.

Jack wasn’t sure what possessed him but, “Here,” he handed Eric his cell phone.

Eric shyly took Jack’s phone, “Are you sure? Don’t wanna jack up your phone bill.” Eric paused for a moment and realized what he just said, “Sorry, no pun intended.”

Jack giggled, “You’re good, man, it’s not the first ‘Jack’ pun I’ve ever heard. And don’t worry about that, just make your call.” 

He gave a small smile before leaving the room to give Eric some privacy. Jack lingered a bit out of curiosity to hear what Eric’s family was like. He hoped they were better than his own.

He heard Eric say, “Hey, Mommy! How are the kiddos and Daddy-O?”

“That’s great! I’m having a blast here! I even made a new friend…” 

Jack felt like dirt after hearing that last part. 

_ Yeah, some ‘friend’ I am. _

After that, he braced himself for his housemates. Truth be told, he had been avoiding them as much as possible.

He wasn’t exactly the most popular guy in the Beach House.

“Well, I see Richie Rich decided to join us.” Kevin snarked as Jack entered the kitchen area. “What’s the matter, Jack, not gonna greet the rest of us?” He continued.

“Oh, so you guys can talk trash behind my back and I’m still expected to act cordial? What did I even do? Just tell me!”

The other guys avoided Jack’s gaze, “Nothing, that’s what I thought. You guys are all talk and no guts.” Jack then stormed past the group of college guys to pour himself a cup of orange juice.

Once he finished his conversation, Eric joined the others downstairs, “Why the long faces guys? It’s a lovely day out!”

Theo spoke up, “Why don’t you ask your friend. C’mon guys let’s get out of here.” The rest of them followed him outside to the beautiful beach in their backyard.

“What was that about, Jacky?” He sat down next to him on a bay window that faced the ocean.

Jack kept his gaze on the guys having fun on the beach, “It’s nothing.”

“C’mon, you can talk to me. Tell me what’s going on?” Eric asked and added a “pretty please?” It was kinda hard to say no to those puppy eyes and pout.

“They all hate me, Eric,” Jack pressed his head against the window. “It’s not like I went into this expecting friends, but hearing what they say about me and judging me, it really hurts.” He looked at Eric for a moment then turned towards the window again, “I’m sure you don’t wanna hear me whine all day. Why don’t you join them? They clearly like you more.”

“I wanna stay here,” Eric put an arm around Jack.

“Out of pity?” Jack whined.

“No way, because I want to smarty-pants,” Eric gave a playful shove. Jack snickered a little and shoved back. Eric wasn’t backing down and poked Jack’s side a few times making the other guy laugh.

“Ah, got you laughing. I knew I’d break you!” Eric teased.

“You played dirty, Matthews. Guess what? So can I!” Jack retorted.

Eric would then find himself wishing he planned things out differently because Jack had started tickling him. As he expected, Eric squirmed like a worm from the tickles since he was super sensitive. Their tickle war continued until the house phone was buzzing with a new message from Brooke.

_ “Hey there! How’re my fave guys doing? Hope you’ve still got some gas left in the tank after that last challenge. Don’t worry, there will be no running of any kind with this test, if you’re lucky. X’s and O’s! Mwah!” _

Eric propped himself back up and gave Jack his hand to help him stand up.

“Before I forget,” Eric handed back the cellphone, “Thanks again.” He said with a kind smile.

“Anytime,” Jack returned a smile. “You’re free to use it whenever you’re feeling homesick.” 

It’s not like Jack to part with his belongings, especially not his new electric-blue cell phone, but it’s different with Eric.

Their housemates came back after a little fun under the sun.

Nick shook his wet hair, creating puddles on the polished porcelain floor. The clean-freak within Jack was screeching a bit. But, he had to withhold the urge to get the mop ‘cause he knew he’d get picked on for it.

He didn’t need to give his new-found enemies anymore ammo to dislike him.

Luckily, Nick wasn’t a complete slob and did use a towel to soak up his puddles. While he did so, he looked up at Jack and Eric and said “‘Sup, dudes! You missed out on some gnarly waves.” He then stuck out his tongue and flashed a “hang-ten” sign.

Jack noticed a reddish tint on Eric’s cheeks, not that he could blame him. Nick was pretty easy on the eyes. He often wondered if Eric found other people attractive, besides girls.

Everyone else in the house had heard Brooke’s message and soon they started getting ready for the limo to arrive and take them to their next challenge. Eric changed into his outfit, which Jack picked out for him again. As someone who often had a difficult time deciding what to wear, Eric appreciated this. Jack had a great sense of style. 

Eric’s thoughts wandered for a bit until the sound of RJ’s voice telling everyone to “Hurry the hell up!” echoed throughout the house.

All the guys were dressed and ready for their ride to arrive. This week, they were taken to an abandoned warehouse and led to a dark room with a ping pong table. The only light came from a dangling lightbulb that shone over the table. 

Bill and Brooke stood behind the table with their arms crossed.

“Welcome to the second challenge, boys! How are you feeling right now? Feeling pretty good after that first one?” There were some loud “yeahs” and Bill could only respond with, “I’m sure a lot of you wish you were partying now, right?”

There was no straight answer coming from the contestants. 

“Oh, come on! Don’t have to get shy with us, Brooke and I love a good party and we want to bring you in that mood.” Soon they all started to relax a bit and a party horn went off in the vast room.

“Hey everyone! Party over here!” Brooke called out and a conga line of random people appeared in colorful outfits along with a few dressed as animals. Loud music blasted from hidden speakers.

“For this challenge, let’s see who can hold their liquor. Beer pong!” Brooke shouted and all of the partygoers went wild.

“Oh, I’m gonna love this challenge,” said Kevin, fist pumping the air.

Bill and Brooke exited the room as the crew set up everything for the game.

In a separate room full of TV screens showing the contestants at different angles, Bill and Brooke addressed the audience, “These guys really think we're just gonna let them get plastered? What kind of impression is that gonna leave on someone as sweet as Brooke?”

“Not a very good one, Bill. This is a test of mind over matter. You know that saying, ‘there’s something to the power of suggestion’ and the ‘beer’ we have for our friends is actually a non-alcoholic concoction of root beer and prune juice. Let’s really put their ‘Discipline’ skills to the test!”

“And more importantly, see how long they can  _ stomach _ this challenge,” Bill added on.

The tables were finally set up and the guys were paired in teams of three. In an unexpected twist, Brooke announced, “Oh I almost forgot! The three finalists have to choose who will be in their team! Choose wisely.”

Jack was the first Team Captain. He really wished he didn’t have to stand in front of these guys who likely hated his guts. In his mind and possibly his heart, he knew who he wanted to pick first but it would’ve been far too obvious… so he chose RJ.

Austin, the second finalist chose Nick for Team Red.

And Ryan, the third finalist, chose Kevin for Team Yellow.

Jack’s last pick was Eric, Austin’s was Carlos, and Ryan’s was Theo.

The teams put on a solid colored t-shirt and then they huddled. 

Eric quickly said, “Guys, I’ve been preparing for this challenge my entire life. I got this!”

Jack and RJ simply shrugged, “Uh, ok, great.” 

Eric, who was all pumped up, went straight to the table. RJ said to Jack quietly, “Do you have any idea what he meant by that?”

“No idea. But he’s our teammate and we gotta trust him.”

“I dunno, he’s kinda,” he began moving his finger in circles, “loco.”

“Believe me, I know. But he’s good people.”

RJ let his guard down and decided to trust Jack’s word.

The table was set up with a total of 45 solo cups all in three colors, each team had 15 cups within the pyramid. The objective of the game was for each team to toss a ball into one of the other team’s cups.

Jack carefully tossed the ball into a yellow solo cup, which meant that Ryan had to take a drink.

He begrudgingly picked up one of the cups and it took him a couple gulps to finish the whole thing. He clearly looked like he wanted to strangle Jack, it must taste terrible. In a dramatic fashion, he wiped the brown liquid from his upper lip.

Jack gave an innocent look and Ryan shot him an equally sarcastic look.

RJ aimed for a yellow one too, but it landed in a blue cup and he had to drink. He looked like he was about to hurl right there, “Man! This stuff is disgusting!”

It was Eric’s turn, and he almost threw one into his team’s but it landed in a red cup. He gave Austin a genuinely sympathetic look, he mouthed, “Sorry,” to him. But Austin took it like a champ.

The game continued and one-by-one the contestants either passed out or had to run to the nearest port-a-potty. Jack was on his 7th or was it his 8th drink? He began to lose track because it was getting unbearable to swallow anymore of it. Eric wasn’t joking when he said that he was prepared for this challenge, he drank the concotion with ease. His stomach must’ve been made of titanium or something or he has very strange taste buds.

Eric won the challenge easily and everyone was grateful for it to be over, including the losers.

Theo groaned, “I just came out of the bathroom and I still gotta go!”

Carlos clutched his stomach on the floor, “Is it over?”

RJ looked… dead. But he did give Eric a thumbs up.

Jack hunched over the beer pong table in agony, “You did great, buddy.” Was all he could say before slipping onto the floor with the others.

Eric stood tall among his fellow contestants, “I don’t know what’s with you dudes. But this stuff’s great! Can I get the recipe?”

With that said, Bill and Brooke emerged from the TV room to congratulate Team Blue. Brooke raised Eric’s hand in victory. She gave him a kiss on the cheek while Bill addressed the camera again. 

“Congratulations, Eric, on winning this challenge for Team Blue! I’m sure your teammates have nothing but praise to give you. Right guys?” The only response from Jack and RJ was the two of them rushing to the restrooms.

“Well, that takes care of this challenge but later tonight, each of you are gonna get some one-on-one time with Brooke. Remember, woo her as if you’re afraid to get eliminated, because, well, that’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid. And always be a gentleman, or I’m calling your moms on you!”

“Eric, since you won, you’ll be my first date. I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight,” she told him with a wink. Eric had to try hard not to drool at the mere sight of her.

He said dreamily, “Ahh yes, mommy… uh I mean, ma’am.” 

Brooke merely giggled at the flub, she tossed her long blonde hair back and walked away. Eric watched her as she left, taking note of how her rear looked in the tight mini skirt, nearly falling over in admiration. 

He could picture his mother yelling at him, but luckily he was miles and miles away from her.

Later that day, once everyone was back in the Beach House, Eric dressed himself very nicely and pulled out a pair of ice skates he had in his luggage...for some reason. He doused himself in so much aftershave it could be noticed throughout the house. Jack was still dressed in a blue t-shirt and sweatpants, lying somewhat dead on his bunk and looked pretty pale too.

Eric placed a hand on Jack’s chest, “Awe, still got the runs?”

Jack responded flatly, “Glad you find this amusing.” He reached for a bottle of maalox and ingested the milky substance, “I made a fool of myself.”

“Jack, look on the bright side. You weren’t the only one.”

Jack wondered,  _ Why do I like this idiot? His bedside manner sucks.  _ “Eric, promise me one thing? Never apply for a job at a hotline.”

“I promise.” Eric took one more look in the mirror, admiring himself. “Jack, doesn’t seeing me like this make you wanna tear off my clothes?”

“Was that a rhetorical question?” Jack said with an eyebrow raised.

“Just wanna know if you think Brooke would find me hot. I mean, I never told anyone this but I never went out with a model before. But I was one for 24 hours, it was kinda embarrassing.”

Jack had to swallow the lump in his throat, “Yeah, you look… perfectly adequate.”

_ Perfectly adequate? That sounded so dumb. Just say what you actually meant, he looked really good, absolutely handsome. It’s not that hard! _

He changed the subject, “How was modeling embarrassing for you?”

Eric responded, “Let’s just say after that moment I never ate lobster again.” 

He wished Jack had elaborated more on the “perfectly adequate” answer. Like, what did that even mean? Was it an insult in disguise? Or was he holding back? Did he need more aftershave?

The doorbell rang indicating Brooke had arrived, Eric checked his breath to make sure it was minty fresh and then ran to the door.

“Hi, Eric! Oh my god, look at’chu you hot tamale!” Eric spun around to show off his outfit and twirled Brooke. “We’re twinsies too!” Since they were both wearing maroon colored outfits.

“You look like an even spicier hot tamale, chica! How does ice skating sound to you?” 

Eric’s ice skating date went well, and all the dates from the other guys consisted of dinner, movies, dancing, club hopping, walks along the beach, local concerts, and Jack’s date was to the haunted Villa Paula Mansion. 

When Jack got back from his date, Eric looked him over, “Jacky Boy, that eyeliner is so you. You should wear it more often. It gives you a kinda Tim Burton-esq look.”

“Is this your way of saying I still look pale?”

“No! I just admire guys who aren’t afraid to wear make-up,” He then smirked, “It’s kinda sex-ay!” And even snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Jack perked up a bit, “You really think so?”

“Heck yes, papi! Definitely better than ‘adequate’.” Eric still wasn’t sure why that word bothered him.

The way Eric said that made Jack wince, he felt guilty for having brought his friend down like that. But he didn’t quite have the guts to say what he really meant. ‘Cause doing so would mean he would have to admit something he didn’t want to, at least not anytime soon.

One day, he’d give Eric an actual heartfelt compliment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention this when I first posted the chapter, but the lyrics Jack and Eric were singing are from the song "Lose Myself" by Still Three (a.k.a Joey Lawrence, Matt Lawrence, and Andy Lawrence), just an fyi ;D
> 
> *originally the chorus goes "you are the one, girl" but I tweaked it to fit with the story better.*

Next day, the contestants were called back to the studio to film the elimination ceremony. They didn’t have to wear any costumes and could dress as themselves. 

Eric really liked how the maroon shirt looked on him so he wore it again for the show, the only difference being he paired them with casual jeans. While Jack wore a silky button down shirt with black slacks, he took a deep breath once he looked himself over in the mirror. Tensions were pretty high in the studio. No one knew how the night was gonna go and they were not looking forward to possibly being told their time with Brooke was coming to an end.

Poor Eric looked like he was gonna pass out ‘cause of nerves. Jack approached him carefully, “Hey man, you need some water?” Jack grabbed Eric’s bottle to give it to him.

Eric took a sip, “What if she eliminates me? I don’t know if I can face that.”

“Are you kidding? You made it through the challenge better than all of us combined. You also told me she really had fun ice skating with you. You’ll most likely be the first one she picks to stay,” Jack comforted.

The producer gave her usual instructions and counted down for the cameras to roll. Jack, Eric, and the other 7 contestants walked on stage as they waited for Brooke to arrive. Dressed in a vibrant tropical dress, she walked up to the guys carrying the box of seashells.

Bill spoke to the audience, “When you last saw us, we really did a number on these fine young men. But they survived,” He encouraged the studio audience to give them an applause. “And they enjoyed a night on the town with Ms. Brooke who is ready to choose who’s stayin’ and who’s packin’ up.” The cameras then zoomed in on her, she first handed Eric a shell (the color seemed to return to his face after she did), then Jack, and so on.

The unlucky fellow was Kevin and Jack couldn’t have been more relieved.

“Ms. Brooke has made her choice, we wish Kevin a safe journey home and a speedy recovery. You’re still looking a little pale, man. You gonna be alright?” Bill placed a hand on Kevin’s back, who wasn’t happy and only nodded in response.

Bill then faced the camera again and with Brooke by his side said, “We’re now down to eight and congrats to all y’all for still being here. Next week we’re gonna test you guys on ‘Balance’ because it’s essential in life. You definitely can’t hope to win Brooke’s heart without it. So all of you watching at home be sure to stay tuned for that and we’ll see you next time on Quiz Ya Later!”

Upon returning to the beach house, all the guys showered and changed to turn in for the night. Once Jack was finished with his, it was Eric’s turn. Jack, still feeling a little tense from earlier, decided to reach for his guitar and started to strum and hum a tune. He was so lost in his own world that he didn’t notice his roommate entering their room.

“That sounds really pretty,” Eric complimented in a low voice, “I didn’t know you were a musician!”

“Nah, I’m not. I mostly play to help calm me down. It’s therapeutic.” Jack’s fingers continued to play.

“Does this song have any lyrics?” Eric asked.

“Not yet. It comes a lot easier just feeling the music. It’s hard to find the exact words, or at least the exact ones that rhyme.” Eric blinked with adorable interest and Jack added, “Ok, well, I have thought of some words but they’re kinda cheesy.”

Eric gave a warm smile, encouraging Jack to share them. “So it goes a little something like ‘ _I can’t explain it,_ yadda-yadda, _everyday we’re getting older,_ something-something _, and baby I lose myself_ ’. And that’s about it, told ya it’s cheesy.”

Eric excitedly started pacing around the room, lost in thought, “I think you’re onto something here! I’m thinking ‘ _every time I hold you, every time I touch you, I can’t help but lose myself_ ’ and add something like ‘ _you are the won-der_ ’ or ‘ _you are the one dear_ ’. I dunno, what do you think?”

“That’s actually really good, I’ll write them down,” Jack said and reached into his guitar case to pull out a small notebook.

Eric sat cross legged on the floor next to Jack, “So, you got someone back home you’re thinking of? Or are you planning on winning Brooke over with an original song?”

“Nah, she’s probably been out with rockstars. She’s not gonna be impressed with any of my songs,” he admitted.

Jack untuned his guitar to put it away, he noticed Eric’s Pennbrook sweatshirt. “There’s something I wanna ask you too. Do you actually go to Pennbrook? ‘Cause I’ve never once seen you there except that one time in the Student Union.”

Eric had the look of a deer on headlights, “Uh, so, you know those people who hop from one school to another?”

“You mean a transfer student?”

Eric overstated it by facepalming his forehead, “Yes! I knew I was forgetting the name.”

Jack squinted his eyes, “Uh-huh. And where did you transfer from?”

Eric’s eyes darted the room, avoiding Jack’s stare, “Uh… you ever heard of Penn…Tech? It’s a tech-nical school, really small campus, great food. I just love their Taco Tuesdays! Does your school have that?”

Jack had to fight the urge to laugh, “No, but my school does have Falsifying Fridays. Ever heard of those?”

Eric’s only response was hysterical fake laughter and, “Oh man! You crack me up!” He casually got up from the floor to climb the top bunk. Once in the safety of the bunk, he said, “Well, we better hit the hay!”

Jack tried to cover up his grin and crept under his own covers, “I just love a good fib, don’t you?”

“Oh yeah, I love fig newtons!”

Jack let out a chuckle, “Good night, Eric…”, he then added to himself “If that’s your real name.”

“Nighty night, Jacky-Jack!”

The following week would mark the beginning of Week 3 in the competition. With Kevin out of the way, Jack felt like he could roam the house more freely. But he’d still receive dirty looks from Theo and Ryan (not Gosling). Austin, RJ, and Nick were chill and friendly as ever and Carlos was the quiet one of the bunch.

Eric was hanging out with RJ who was busy drawing something on Eric’s arm, which meant that he would giggle every few minutes. It didn’t take Jack long to figure out how ticklish Eric could get, just a simple touch on the shoulder would get him wiggling.

Jack felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned around to see a shirtless Nick (which wasn’t a surprise at this point). “Dude, I gotta ask, have you ever caught a wave?”

“Uh, come again?”

“Like, have you ever gone surfing?” Nick said with a slightly crazed look in his eyes.

“Nope, I’m from New York. Not many waves to be caught.”

“Dude! I’ve always wanted to see the Big Apple! And get a big munch out of it.”

Jack didn’t want to say this but his parents instilled manners from a young age, “Well, if you ever make it up there, look me up.”

“I will!” He then gave Jack a bone crushing hug. “But, now we surf! You can borrow my old board.”

Jack tried to explain that he didn’t want to surf but he couldn’t fight Nick’s irresistible enthusiasm, however intense it may be. And those damn ocean blue eyes made his knees weak.

He thought of asking Nick if he would save the surfing for another day, but hearing Eric’s giggles again made Jack decide to go for it. So he went to his room to find his nicest swim trunks since he didn’t have a wetsuit.

“Dude, you must work out, like, really hard!” Nick then tapped his hand against Jack’s abs, “Those are rock solid!” 

_He’s a really touchy kinda guy._ _Why do I like it?_

He noticed that Eric’s giggles had died down and looked over his shoulder, Eric very quickly turned his head away as if he didn’t wanna get caught staring. To avoid any more awkwardness, Jack followed Nick to the beach and killed some time with him.

Many waves and hours later, Jack was back in his room putting together his outfit for this week’s challenge. Eric was strangely quiet this afternoon, he almost appeared… sad?

Eric broke his silence with, “You and Nick looked pretty cozy.”

Jack scoffed, “I could say the same about you and RJ. He was all over your arm.”

“He was drawing a temporary tattoo!” He then rolled up his sleeve, “See!” 

Jack avoided looking at RJ’s handiwork but Eric practically shoved his arm in his face. He saw that it was an elaborately drawn squirrel with the words “Kyle” underneath it in fancy calligraphy.

“Unbelievable,” was all Jack could possibly say.

“I know right!? He’s so talented!” Eric practically bounced.

“Yeah, well, Nick’s an awesome surfer. He even won a few championships. That’s very impressive,” Jack tried to one-up Eric, “He even taught me a few moves.”

“Oh, that’s not so impressive. Anyone can surf! Watch me.” Eric went to grab something from the closet, “Check me out, ready to hang ten!”

“With an ironing board? I think you’re confusing ‘planking’ with ‘surfing’,” Jack fired back.

“Hey! It takes real talent to surf with an ironing board.”

“Yeah, whatever. Your argument is flawed and nonsensical.”

Eric placed his hands on his hips, “Oh yeah? Well, I’m more sensical than a popsicle!”

Jack couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing and then Eric followed suit. They’re laughter became so uncontrollable that they began holding on to each other just to keep from falling.

“What are we even doing?” Jack said through the hysterics.

“You’d think we were trying to show off our boyfriends or something,” Eric guffawed.

The word “boyfriends” got Jack laughing to tears, though, his reaction on the inside stung quite a lot. He hunched over trying to catch his breath.

Eric wrapped an arm around him, “You ok, buddy?”

“Yeah, yeah, just give me a moment.” Jack straightened up and padded away a few tears with the back of his hand.

Eric kept his arm around Jack until he was sure he was okay, “Let’s just get ready and then grab something to eat. How does that sound?”

“Sounds fine,” He answered and then internally told himself to get it together and remember why he’s there.

Soon the limo arrived to take them to the studio to face their next challenge. Needless to say, the guys brought plenty of antacid since they didn’t wanna take any chances after last week’s fiasco.

Once there, they went to their designated chairs backstage. After getting camera-ready, an assistant handed them elbow pads and knee pads and asked each of them their shoe size.

_Why did they need to know that exactly?_

They were escorted on to the set which was turned into a roller rink. Bill appeared with his gold mic, “How are my fellas doin’?” All eight guys shout that they’re doing great.

“Any skating fans around here? I know you are, Eric, after you wooed Brooke on ice skates.” Eric did a cutesy bow to Brooke and then the audience, and blew a kiss at the camera. The ladies in the audience squealed in delight. 

“Ah yeah, our boy Eric’s definitely a fan favorite I see.” Bill scanned the audience to look at the various handmade signs, “I see a big section for Nick and a few for Austin, Ryan, and Jack.” 

The boys in question acknowledged the fans in their own way, Nick stuck out his studded tongue and did the “hang-ten” sign, Austin tipped his cowboy hat, Ryan didn’t seem to care, and Jack gave a shy wave.

“Yeah, Bill, can’t deny Eric truly swept me off my feet on our date.” Brooke said with a wink to Eric who, in turn, pretended like he got struck in the heart. The crowd laughed at his antics.

“Alright, alright, you lovebirds, save the flirting for later. Let’s get started, shall we? So as we said last week, we’re gonna test your balance. We supplied you with elbow and knee pads, now put these on,” Bill said motioning to the rollerblades and helmets.

Once everyone had their helmets and skates on, they were handed a stack of books. 

“The objective of this challenge is to rollerblade from the starting point to the end of the track, but there’s a catch, because there’s always a catch, you need to do so while balancing these books on your head. Aren’t we evil?” Bill finished with an evil laugh while Brooke rubbed her hands together maniacally with a mischievous look in her eyes.

“Eric, since you won last week you’re first in line, then Jack, and then RJ, and so on. On your marks, get set… GO!” Bill announced and the air horn went off.

No one was sure what fell more, the books or the guys. Bill joked, “I’ve got a feeling a lot of butts will be bruised!”

Jack was laser-focused and the noise from the crowd, the hosts, and the other contestants drowned out. He was determined to get another win under his belt. His biggest competition, this time, was none other than surfer boy. Nick was fast, he moved past Jack in a blur as if he were The Flash. Jack pushed and pushed, but this only led him to stumble and his books fell. The others were way too far behind and scattered all over the floor, Theo and RJ nearly got into a fight because Theo elbowed him in the groin. While Jack picked himself up, Bill was in between them trying to break up the fight.

Eric swooped next to Jack and swirled around him a few times before lending a hand, “Need a lift? Nick’s got us beat.” Jack didn’t want to, but knew he’d be labeled a bad guy if he didn’t accept the help. So, they both crossed the line at fourth place. Austin came in second and Ryan came in third. 

On his way there, Ryan said snidely to Jack and Eric (mostly Jack), “See you two later, NOT!” And flashed the letter “L” for extra emphasis. Carlos quietly finished at fifth. Theo and RJ were still at each other’s throats and some R-Rated language was being thrown around.

Bill announced each guy as they made it through the end, “...and coming in last because they never made it to the finish line,” He said flatly, “Theo and RJ.” They shoved each other as if another fight was about to break out, fortunately, it was just dirty looks.

Brooke congratulated Nick and kissed his cheek, he then made a speech as if he won an Oscar. “I’d like to thank my mom, my dad, my uncle, my auntie, my six brothers and sisters, my surf coach, the people of Hawaii, the people of Baja-Cali-Mex, and…”

But before he could continue his laundry list of people, Bill snatched the microphone away, “Alright, thank you. This isn’t the Academy Awards, buddy. But I appreciate the enthusiasm.” 

Brooke just stood next to Bill, her hand covering her giggles. 

“Well, Nick looks like he has enough energy to spare for his date with Brooke, hopefully the rest of you will as well when you take her out. Remember, no one’s safe from the chopping block.”

Back home getting ready for their second round of dates with Brooke, Eric emerged out of the bathroom dressed in a costume fitting for a Shakespearean play.

Jack’s eyes bugged out seeing Eric in a grey tunic and black tights, “Why are you dressed like you’re about to attend a Renaissance Fair?”

Eric stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out any wrinkles, “Ha! You peasant! I’m taking Ms. Brooke out to a poetry reading because I have class and you don’t.”

Jack frowned, “You probably can’t even recite Shakespeare, you poseur.”

Eric walked towards Jack with such determination, “Is that a challenge?”

Jack could practically feel the other guy’s breath on him, “Yes.”

With just a finger, Eric gently pushed Jack on the bed. He then cleared his throat and passionately recited,

“ _Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer’s lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often in his gold complexion dimm’d; and every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st. Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, when in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee_.” 

By the time Eric finished his recitation, he hovered over Jack and both his hands tenderly held the other guy’s face. It almost felt as if their lips were about to touch… And Jack’s hands had found their way onto Eric’s waist, once he realized this he quickly removed them.

Eric gave a cheeky grin, “I left you speechless, my work here is done. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a blonde supermodel to woo,” he made a dramatic exit.

Jack was completely lost for words, his hand reaching up to where Eric… caressed him. After the initial shock wore off, he finally got up for a well-needed cold shower.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Just letting you know that this will be the last chapter I post in a while. One of the authors is going to be busy with university. Your patience and support is greatly appreciated
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> roomiesforlife  
> f.k.a boymeetshitposts

Jack hadn’t completely recovered from that rather intimate moment with Eric. It plagued his mind even during his second date with Brooke, which was a romantic boat trip. She gazed into his brown eyes, “Jack? Are you here?”

Jack snapped out of his trance, “Yes, I’m here. Sorry, this competition’s got me kinda exhausted.”

Brooke slid a hand from across the table and placed it on top of Jack’s, “Oh, hun, I should be the one saying sorry for all I’ve put you boys through. I just get to stand around and look pretty.”

Jack raised Brooke’s hand to plant a kiss on it, “Love’s a game but it’s worth it for a girl like you.” They spent the rest of their date admiring the twinkling stars that decorated the sky.

When Jack returned to the beach house, he was feeling fairly confident after his date. He didn’t want to pat himself on the back prematurely but he could tell Brooke was enchanted by him. Eric was fast asleep with his silly sock monkey, Mr. Snuffles.

This week’s set-up looked eerie with a row of what appeared to be polygraphs with massive orange buckets over them.

“Welcome to another installment of Quiz Ya Later, but you knew that already. Before we go on with this week’s challenge, Ms. Burns has to let another one of these guys go. Take it away Brooke!”

RJ was the one on the chopping block this week but he handled it more maturely than the last two. He gave Brooke a hug as well the other contestants minus Ryan and Theo. With one last wave to the audience, he exited the stage and the audience applauded for him. Eric looked like he was about to shed a tear as he clapped along while Jack placed an arm around him.

Bill resumed, “We’re all gonna miss RJ, happy trails to you my brother! With that said, let’s get on with the next chapter. Will our seven surviving contestants follow me? I know what you’re thinking, what’s with the polygraphs? Or in layman’s terms lie detectors. Brooke needs an honest man. So we’re gonna strap each of you to a graph and she’s gonna ask you random questions.” 

He then chuckled a bit, “By the way, we may have tampered with these particular polygraphs. We’ve set these bad boys up so any time you tell a lie, you’re gonna get slimed!”

All of a sudden the guys were objecting and a few ‘no ways’ were heard. “What’s the matter guys? Nothing will happen as long as you’re honest! You’ve got nothing to hide, right?” Bill wiggled his eyebrows at the camera. 

Brooke threw in her own, “Right?” 

The boys sheepishly nodded their heads, though their pale faces exposed them. Brooke crossed her arms, pursed her lips, and gave them a “tsk, tsk” expression. She then reached for Ryan’s arm, “Allow me to demonstrate,” and strapped him to the chair.

She questioned him, “Is your name actually Ryan?” 

He said yes and no slime came down.

“Where are you from?” 

Attempting to maintain his pretentious mystique, he vaguely answered “around” and was instantly covered in slime as a result.

“Let me repeat that, where are you from?” 

Ryan grimaced as he responded, “Okay! okay! I’m not from Beverly Hills! I’m from Dayton, New Jersey.” He hid his shame in his hands.

Brooke simply stated, “Now you guys know I mean business when I say I want honesty.”

Each of the guys were strapped-in and she was ready to grill them.

“Jack, describe your family to us. On our dates, you seem to avoid talking about them.”

 _With good reason_ , Jack said to himself. 

He had to think of a way to answer the question honestly without actually answering it. What a task, huh?

“Well, Brooke, my family is a bit different because my mother remarried. I was about 7 or 8 when she did and I grew up with my step-father and step-sister. My step-father is a fairly wealthy businessman and I’ve lived a life of privilege. I got to attend a prestigious private school in upstate New York and I received a red Cadillac Seville for my 16th birthday. Overall, I had a nice upbringing.” Jack cautiously looked up at the bucket of slime above, he breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t tip over.

Brooke counted it as a point in Jack’s favor. Although, she was still unsatisfied with that answer. 

She moved on to the next contestant.

“Theo, how did your last relationship end?”

“Well, we were moving too fast and she wanted to move in with me after three months - “ He was quickly cut off by the slime. “Okay! We were together over a year and I hooked up with her cousin.” 

The audience booed at him and he defensively got up to say, “Hey! You would’ve done the same if you had seen her! She was a hottie!”

A particularly loud audience member yelled, “Brooke deserves better than you! Cheater!” And the audience did a few rounds of “Cheater” chants until Bill had to calm them down. Theo turned his back to the crowd and pointed at his butt and then took a seat.

Brooke shook her head disapprovingly at him and approached Eric, “You’ve been an absolute doll since we met. I bet you fancy yourself a romantic, right?” Eric just looked at her dreamily, “Uh-huh.”

“Okay, Eric. Do you remember your first kiss?”

“Absolutely, Brooke.”

“Who was it?”

Eric, still practically in Dreamland said, “Laura Van Pel,” and got covered in slime. Eric let out a high-pitched cry, “Okay! It was Mitchell Davis!” The cold goo made him shiver. The audience audibly ‘gasped’ at this.

Bill interjected, “That’s an interesting name for a girl.”

Eric, playing it too cool for school, responded, “Yeah, she was insecure about that, we just called her Mitchy.” The slime came pouring down hard again ‘causing him to fall out of his seat, “It was in the fourth grade ok! He was my best friend!”

Jack didn’t realize his jaw dropped while staring at Eric in complete shock... or another emotion he couldn’t quite identify.

Brooke continued on with her questionnaire. This time she turned her attention to Austin, “So, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

Austin was hesitant to answer, he looked out to the audience searching for some encouragement, but it was Brooke’s warm demeanor that comforted him the most. He cleared his throat, “Well, a couple of years ago, I got into a nasty brawl and left the guy badly injured and I can’t reckon what it was even about.”

The audience ooh’ed in response and whispered amongst themselves. Austin lowered his head, as if he was crawling into a shell. Brooke placed her hand on his shoulder, “Thank you for being so open and honest.” She then pulled him into a hug and the audience lightly clapped.

“May I add something?” Austin said and she handed him the microphone, “If the person I hurt is watching this, I’d like to say from the bottom of my heart, I’m very sorry.”

The audience clapped louder and Brooke gave Austin one last hug before he sat back down. She then turned to Carlos. His quiet demeanor would make him a hard egg to crack, but Brooke was determined.

“Carlos, you’re probably the most reserved guy out of everyone here. Nothing seems to make you tick, but I know you must have a hot button. So, tell me, what’s your biggest pet peeve? C’mon, let out your inner rage,” Brooke said that last part with a seductive whisper.

Carlos looked nervously to his left and then back at Brooke. He awkwardly whispered, “Bzz... bzz…”

“Carlos, can you speak up? I didn’t catch that,” she tucked a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

“Bzz...bzz…”

“Carlos, I still can’t hear you,” she urged.

Carlos snapped, “IT’S BEES, OK! I HATE THEM!” The room got so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard. Even more jarringly, he returned to a whisper, “I’m ok.”

“Ohhhkay, then. Thank you, Carlos. Thank you for that clearly honest answer.” Brooke concluded and then approached the last contestant, Nick.

“Nick, you’re probably the most mellow guy here, but I know there’s a wild side in you too. Have you ever gotten arrested?”

Nick flipped his beachy blond waves back and got comfy in his seat. With a lopsided smile he answered, “So, it’s really funny, except, like, the getting arrested part. So, like, I thought I was going to a nude beach but it was actually, like, a regular one and I got in big trouble. I’ve also streaked a few times when I’ve, like, gotten majorly wasted.” 

That really got Brooke’s attention, she dramatically fanned herself and mouthed ‘ah-oo-ga’. The audience themselves laughed and cheered. A few wolf whistles could be heard as well.

Nick then bashfully said, “I’m sorry, that, like, probably made a classy gal like you feel uncomfortable but I speak the truth, Brookey.”

Brooke scoffed a bit, “Oh, come on! I’m not as ‘classy’ as I come off.”

Bill added, “She ain’t lying about that,” he then handed her a can of soda. She took a good swig of it and then let out a loud belch. It was the kind of belch that could make mountains move, that could cause an avalanche, and start an earthquake. 

Nick at that moment looked like he was ready to propose marriage. Even Eric, who still sat on the floor of slime, appeared awestruck by Brooke’s hidden talent. Jack and Ryan seemed disgusted by it. Austin found it hilarious and Carlos stayed quiet as always. Though, if you looked close enough, you might see a slight smirk on his face.

Brooke did a curtsy and bowed, while the audience (along with Nick and Eric) showered her with praise.

Eric tried to stand up but slipped on the slime, “Bravo! Encore! Encore!”

Once the questions were done and it became difficult to stand still on a floor covered in slime, it was time to declare a winner. Bill and Brooke were very happy to announce the winner was Austin.

Bill patted him on the back, “My boy, Austin! He kept it real and more than earned this victory.” They shared a bro-hug, he then went up to Nick to give him a high-five, “Gotta give you some love too for sharing a very **_revealing_ ** story in the most revealing way possible.” 

The audience, along with Brooke, applauded that. Bill continued, “When you guys have your dates with Brooke later, maybe this exercise will help bring you closer to her. Unless you end up looking like a fool, in that case, you got some serious damage control to do.”

The dates go on as planned. Since Austin won, he had the first date, which was horseback riding. Eric’s date was a fun night of bumper cars. Jack tried pulling out all the stops by arranging a helicopter flight. However, Brooke felt anything but romantic when she asked Jack about his family again and he still gave her nothing.

She snidely said to him, “You are aware this is a competition, right? You’re supposed to be sweeping me off my feet! Instead, you keep being the broom sweeping dust under the rug. I don’t date dust bunnies.”

All Jack could do was apologize but he knew Brooke didn’t want to hear that. She was, as he would say, unbelievably, right. Him playing the role of a broom couldn’t have been a better metaphor of his life.

Jack returned to the beach house feeling absolutely defeated, Theo and Carlos were on the couch having some beers. Once Jack came within their view, Theo threw an insult his way, “Hey, Carlos, looks like Daddy Morebucks struck out.” Carlos laughed and Theo continued, “If he even made it to bat that is.”

Jack fired back, “Says the guy who openly admitted to hooking up with his girlfriend’s cousin. Take a good look in the mirror, asshole.”

Theo got up from the couch and stormed towards Jack and grabbed him by the collar, “Say that again to my face, rich boy, or really I should say, bitch.”

“Go ahead, I dare you, since throwing fists is all you’re good at!” Jack taunted him.

It looked like Theo was actually going to do that until everyone else showed up in the living room to split the two up.

“Guys, let me go, let Theo do his worst!”

Eric rubbed his sleepy eyes while holding Mr. Snuffles in his arms, “Guys, let’s not fight! We’re all friends here.”

Theo laughed at Eric, “Will you grow the hell up? We’re not friends, we never were! I’m here to win.”

Jack gave Theo another shove for good measure. He’s had a long night and didn’t want to deal with more crap being thrown his way.

Jack went straight to the bathroom to take a shower, not even remembering to grab his pajamas. He just wanted to wash away all the stress. When he was done, some clean sweatpants and a t-shirt were waiting for him. Guess after all those mornings of him laying out Eric’s clothes, this was him returning the favor.

Eric said, “Hey, sorry about Theo. He’s a real weenie and that’s putting it nicely.”

Jack answered from the bathroom as he changed, “Yeah, he’s a real ray of sunshine.” He then went to lay down on his bunk. Eric was already on his, sort of dangling upside down and his soft brown hair stuck out in all directions. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Eric asked. Jack already knew he was referring to the date.

Jack sighed, “I’d rather not.” All he could think about was waking up early to pack. He was pretty sure he would be the next one on the chopping block.

“Do you wanna grab your guitar and play it out?”

“Nah, no amount of strumming about my sorrows will help me out this time.”

“Before you go inside your shell again, I just wanna know something. What is it about your family that you’re trying to hide from Brooke? Are they spies?”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh at that, “How bold of you to ask.”

“What can I say? I believe in charging head first.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Eric continued to look at him intently, he started playing with his floppy hair as he waited for Jack’s response. He cracked a faint smile when Eric used his brown locks to make a fake mustache.

“You really wanna know, huh?”

Still holding his ‘stash, he nodded.

“Well, I'll tell you this much: I lied when I said that I didn’t know who Shawn Hunter was.”

Eric pointed down at him, “I knew it!”

Jack snickered, “That’s not even the best part, Eric. Shawn’s my long-lost half-brother.”

Eric’s mind suddenly flashed back to his much younger days. He recalled a very quiet boy with a cute button nose and brown hair much like Jack’s. That boy disappeared when he was around 8 years old and when Shawn and Cory were no older than 5 or 6.

Once he arrived back to the present time, Eric could hear Jack’s faint snoring and decided to drop the matter, for now. He stepped down from his bunk and gently ran his fingers through his friend’s hair. 

“Sleep tight, Jack Hunter.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed writing about these two so here's a new chapter for you all. Enjoy! ❤
> 
> Jack's lyrics are from the song "Lose Myself" by Still Three.

Another elimination ceremony has gone by and Theo was the one to get the can. Once again, Jack was delighted and relieved as Theo had been a real thorn in his back. 

Six contestants remained: Jack, Eric, Austin, Carlos, Nick, and Ryan. 

Honestly, Jack’s biggest competition was Nick and Ryan, the other three would falter at some point. Even Eric, with all his charm and wit, wouldn’t last until the end, or so that’s what he tried to convince himself.

_ Jack, are you really gonna sit in this limo and start patting yourself on the back? You survived that elimination ceremony by the skin of your teeth. _

Jack’s mind returned to that ceremony and recalled how much his pulse thumped in his chest watching the other guys get their seashells. Brooke gave him a disappointed look and, begrudgingly, handed him a shell. Her oceanic eyes practically chided him:  _ You’re off the hook, this time _ . A part of him wondered if he was truly above groveling.

Later that night, all the pressure and insecurity he felt came to a head and he found himself at 3 in the morning hunched over the refrigerator. His eyes focused on the beer bottles and despite resisting the urge to drink so far, he badly wanted one now. So, he carried what felt like a whole case with him outside, the bottles clinked as they hit the sand and one-by-one did Jack remove the lids and drank. 

Eric must’ve seen or overheard him from the window because he joined him on the beach, he whispered sleepily, “Buddy, what are you doing up so late?” He then picked up one of the many empty bottles, “I didn’t know you drank?”

A buzzed Jack responded, “I don’t. What are you doing up?”

“It was too quiet in the room. I couldn’t sleep and I got worried.” Eric answered sincerely as Jack offered him a beer.

“Worried about what? Me? Eric, I’m sure you’ve got better things to occupy that strangely warped mind of yours,” Jack playfully poked at Eric’s temples.

Eric rubbed the spot that Jack touched and took a good swig of the beer. “Nope, all I notice is my friend’s not in his bunk. He’s gonna take up plenty of my thinking time.”

Jack began to uncontrollably giggle at nothing, Eric raised an eyebrow but even he couldn’t resist his roommate’s infectious laughter and joined him.

Jack managed to say, “You seriously think of me as a friend? Why?”

“Because I like you. I have fun with you.”

“How? I’ve been nothing but a huge jerk to you!” Jack tried to stifle more giggles, “Me thinks you’re a sucker for pain or something.”

“No you haven’t, maybe a neurotic grump, but not a jerk.”

“Neurotic? That’s a big boy word,” Jack joked as the alcohol in his system started to take over.

Eric grabbed another bottle, “I know another big boy word, ‘estranged.’ How ‘bout them apples?” He then popped off the lid and took another drink.

They two young men watched the sunrise and continued finishing off all the beer Jack could carry. Both of them felt too drunk to move and laid on the soft sand.

Eric laughed, “This would be sooooo great if I could move! I can’t even feel my fingers.”

Jack awkwardly used his hand to move Eric closer to him which only made him laugh more, “Hey! Get your hands out of my nose you weirdo, I can pick my own nose thanks!”

With Eric’s face in his hands, Jack looked straight into his big brown eyes, “There’s something else I’d much rather do than pick your boogers, man.”

Eric smiled, “Oh yeah? What else could you possibly want to do?”

Jack huskily whispered, “I’d tell ya but I’d rather show ya.”

Before Eric could exchange anymore drunken banter, Jack used whatever strength he had to pull his roommate into a heated kiss, his fingers really digging into Eric’s brown hair. Their lips remained locked as they tasted the beer that coated each other’s tongues, Eric’s arms wrapped around Jack’s waist and brought him closer to his chest. It was only when air became a necessity that they finally pulled apart. They both looked into each other’s stunned eyes as they realized what had transpired.

“Whoa... What was that?” Jack asked, feeling a little more sober than earlier.

“Um, hello, you’re the one that kissed me!” Eric answered back.

“Well, you didn’t exactly pull away,” Jack tried to counter.

“Neither did you!”

Jack flailed his arms dramatically nearly smacking Eric in the face, “This is ridiculous! We’re fighting over a kiss!” Jack paused for a moment, “Did you like it or not?”

Eric pretended to think long and hard about it, teasing Jack, only to give a simple, “I did.”

Jack let his back fall on the sand, he clutched some of it as he made a fist, “Well, that puts _that_ to bed.”

Eric laid down on his front and his face reddened a bit. Jack quickly corrected himself, “...uh, I meant rest.” Eric’s big eyes still blinked at him and he continued, “Don’t look at me like that! I’m drunk ok!”

Eric’s lips curled slightly, “A drunk person would never admit that they’re drunk.” He reached for a bottle but realized it was empty and tossed it away.

Jack scoffed, “On what freaking planet?”

Eric had that faraway expression again, “I dunno, this one?”

Jack’s hands slid down his face with annoyance, “Unbelievable.”

Eric suppressed a chuckle and Jack’s nostrils flared, “What?”

“You’ve got sand all over your face.”

“I’m aware, Einstein.”

“Oooh, is that your boyfriend?” Eric wiggled his eyebrows.

“You’ve never heard of Albert Einstein? You know what? Nevermind.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of him. I wasn’t born yesterday,” Eric said with a snort. He then poked Jack’s side, “You just get so adorably annoyed.”

Jack wiped away any remaining sand from his face and clothes, “I think we should get some rest, it’s been a long night.”

Eric picked himself up and brushed off any sand that stuck to his clothes, arms, and legs. “Fine by me,” he pulled Jack up and their faces were just inches away from touching.

Both men felt their throats catch their breaths and Jack broke the tension, “Yeah, um, just to be clear. What happened out here was a one time thing.”

“Right, right, heard you loud and clear! One time thing.” Eric repeated doing some kind of salute.

“Good, I’m glad we cleared that up. We’re just two dudes that had too much booze.”

They quietly headed back into the beach house. Eric hopped into the shower to clean the last remnants of sand off and changed into a clean shirt and shorts. As Jack left the room to clean up too, Eric laid down on his bunk, the kiss replayed in his head. 

_ C’mon, brain! Jack made it perfectly clear it’s never gonna happen again. Stop thinking about it! Think of literally anything else, basketball, Shakespeare… nevermind... Baywatch, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Brooke Burns, Brooke on the cover of Sports Illustrated... Taco Tuesday! _

Eric smothered his face with his pillow and hit himself with it a few times. Nothing. When he heard Jack come out of the bathroom he readjusted his position on the bunk and rapidly said, “Pleasant dreams, my didactic friend.”

Jack’s nose wrinkled, “Huh? Whatever. Night, Eric.”

_ Whatever you do Eric, do not, I repeat DO NOT call him “cutie pie” or any other embarrassingly cheesy nickname. And most importantly, DO NOT have a wet dream of him… slow-running on a beach… in just a speedo… possibly less. _

Eric clutched Mr. Snuffles extra tight to his chest, he was gonna need all the comfort he could get.

Next morning, the boys woke up to the sound of high-pitched whistles and bugle horns. Eric nearly fell off his bunk and dangled from it, startling Jack.

“Eric what are you doing? You nearly scared me to death!” Jack whisper-shouted. Eric did an awkward wave, “Sorry! I thought I heard a military reveille in the house.”

Not a minute later, they both heard the call again and covered their ears. Jack groaned, “Please make it stop!” Eric then jumped out of his bunk and grabbed Jack’s guitar case, heading towards the door.

“Where are you going with that?”

Eric did a “shushing” sound and then whispered, “I’m gonna go check things out and this is just for my protection.”

Jack bolted out of bed, “Not with my guitar! It was a birthday gift!” 

Eric snuck downstairs, Jack trailed behind him. They go in the kitchen when the bugle goes off again and a knock comes from the other side of the door. Both Jack and Eric let out a huge scream and clung on to each other.

It’s none other than Brooke Burns, decked out in camo from head-to-toe, causing all the ruckus.

Despite it being very early in the morning, she was as chipper as a bird, “Morning boys! Sorry to wake you but I’ve got some important deets!” 

Eric and Jack noticed they were still hugging each other tightly and pulled away quickly. “Oh, um, no problem, Brooke,” said Eric. Jack ran his fingers through his messy hair, combing through it. Brooke blushed a bit causing them both to look down at their sleepwear: tank tops and boxer shorts.

“I love Tweety bird too, Eric!” Brooke complimented with a giggle. Jack grabbed a kitchen towel and stuffed it in his shorts so it would lay like an apron, “So, uh, what’s all this about?”

Brooke palmed her forehead, “Oh my gosh! I got so distracted that I almost forgot.” She then blew into her shiny whistle, “Boys! I need your attention!” Growing impatient, she stomped towards the stairs and blew the whistle again, “Boys! Don’t make me drag you out of there!” 

In a matter of seconds, the rumbling of feet could be heard from the stairway. Nick, Austin, Carlos, and Ryan were now in the kitchen and Brooke paced in front of them like a drill sergeant.

“Boys! The reason I’m rounding you up this morning is because you’re gonna be involved in an important mission today and we can’t wait! I need you maggots dressed and ready in 0600 hours!” She then added, “sharp!”

Even though she didn’t tell them to, all the boys exclaimed in response: “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” She gave them each a satisfied little smirk and nod before exiting the Beach House.

Nick said dreamily, “I love a woman who takes control, am I right boys?” They all groggily agreed. 

Jack felt nauseated seeing some of the other guys scratch their butts and then pour themselves juice - it made his skin crawl. Ryan took note of the small towel tucked in Jack’s underpants, “Nice apron, did your mom make it?”

Jack removed the piece of cloth and hid it under his shirt and turned his head to get the last word, “No, yours did.” He didn’t see where he was walking and stubbed his toe against the doorframe, “Friggity-freaking-frack-frack!”

Eric beatboxed, “Uh, uh, yo, yo, wackity-wack! Frack! I’m under attack!” Jack simply stood there, hunched over and holding his foot, as he glared up at his roommate.

He knew well to keep his mouth shut and help Jack up, he then continued walking back to their room, secretly wishing Jack wouldn’t hurt him. “Sorry, I was just trying to lighten up your spirits. Are you okay? You didn’t hurt your toes did you?” He helped Jack back to the bottom bunk.

Jack sighed heavily, “I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to participate in this challenge. It hurts really bad. And, besides, I’m practically on the chopping block.”

“So, you’re just gonna quit? Give up? That’s not the Jack Hunter I know!”

Jack rubbed his eyes, “Please don’t… don’t act like you know me ok?”

In an announcer-like tone Eric replied, “Heeeeeeere’s broody Jacky again! Be careful, if you get too close to him, he’ll ride off into the wind!” He found a bucket and filled it with warm water, “For someone so confident, you sure throw in the towel quickly.”

Jack countered, “Bold words coming from the guy in Tweety underwear.”

Eric wagged his finger, “Don’t sass the man tending to your feet!” His voice grew comically deep, “I could break you, you know? You can kiss your little piggies goodbye.”

Jack used his strength to push Eric away with his other foot, “Yeah, I can take it from here.”

Eric stood up and brushed himself off, he continued in his deep tone, “Fine, be that way.”

He proceeded to get himself ready. When he finished he went to grab himself an orange juice. Austin approached him, “Hey, Eric. Where’s Jack? It’s almost 6:00.”

Eric was ready to say that Jack was bailing on the challenge when he suddenly appeared downstairs, all dressed and ready. He even went the extra mile and painted some thick black lines on his cheeks and forehead, he looked ready for war.

Austin surveyed Jack’s outfit: a basic white t-shirt and cargo pants tucked into chunky black shoes. “Well, I’ll be! All that’s missin’ is a crew cut and I’ll be saluting you.” Jack dipped his head appreciatively.

Eric just turned his head and whispered, “I’m so happy you didn’t bail, Jack. I knew you had it in you,” he patted his back, “How’re you feeling?”

“Feeling pretty damned motivated right now,” Jack returned the pat, “Thanks, buddy.” Eric almost wanted to point out that Jack’s hand, accidentally, went a bit lower than his back. Not that he was complaining.

The limo pulled up to an open field set up as a bootcamp. Bill and Brooke were already there, dressed in their best military aesthetic.

“Glad you came to join us, privates!” Bill said as the guys took one long glance at the obstacle course. It had monkey bars, tires lined up on the floor, walls with ropes to climb, hurdles to jump over, a net to crawl under, and balance beams with swinging sandbags. Many of the guys were wondering:  _ When did this competition turn into utter hell? Am I gonna make it out alive? _

“This challenge is gonna determine if you’re strong enough for Brooke.” He pointed at her as she did a front bicep pose, “Here we’ll be separating the men from the boys.” 

Brooke walked to the starting line. “Brooke’s gonna demonstrate how this is gonna go down.” To demonstrate, she completed the entire course. In the end, she was muddy, sweaty, and messy but still came out of it a total babe. The boys wished they looked half as good as she did at the finish line.

Brooke whistled, “Ok, boys! Line up!” 

Since Austin won the last challenge he was the first one to go. Brooke blew on the whistle and started her timer.

Austin’s long arms helped him climb the monkey bars, when he reached the end, he jumped, and landed perfectly. Afterwards, he jogged through the tires without tripping, climbed the wall with spider-like ability, his strong legs propelled him over the various hurdles, and then got down on the muddy ground to climb under a net, and finished things off on the balance beam with grace and poise. He then sprinted to the finish line without breaking a sweat. The other contestants were green with envy, whereas Eric clapped “Austin! Dude! That was awesome! You’re like all the Avengers in one!”

Bill looked at Brooke’s time and announced, “Great work, Private Ruthers! The rest of you are going to have to beat his impressive 5 minutes, 10 seconds time! Good luck.” 

Brooke shouted, “Private Packard, you’re up!” Nick lined up behind the start line and waited for the signal for him to go. Jack whined to himself,  _ Of course, The Flash is gonna kill this one.  _ Much to Jack’s dismay, Nick finished with an even better time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.

Eric, the cheerleader, gave Nick a side-hug, “Surf’s up my dude! You caught some serious… uh, dirt!”

Brooke called for Carlos, “Your turn, Private Aguilar! I hope I’m saying that right.” Carlos reassured that Brooke didn’t butcher his last name with a thumbs up. He finished with 5 minutes, 47 seconds. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, Eric gave Carlos a high five.

Brooke seductively beckoned Eric with her finger, “You know the drill, Private Matthews.” Eric couldn’t stop staring at Brooke, he was mesmerized by the mere sight of her. He lost a few seconds because of this distraction and fumbled towards the monkey bars.

Bill teased her, “Brooke, hun. If you want lover boy to win this thing, you shouldn’t sabotage him!”

Brooke playfully punched his arm. As he rubbed it, he muttered, “Just sayin’.”

Eric barely surpassed Carlos’ time, coming in at 5 minutes, 45 seconds. Those tires really tripped him up whereas the net was a struggle for Carlos.

Brooke’s sweet but seductive voice changed back into a neutral one, “Private Hunter, you’re up.” 

Jack’s body practically shivered from that icey tone. He wasn’t going to let that deter him though. He would show that he wasn’t going down without a fight. As he darted himself to the finish line, things Brooke and Eric had told him racked his mind:

_ “You are aware this is a competition, right? You’re supposed to be sweeping me off my feet! Instead, you keep being the broom sweeping dust under the rug. I don’t date dust bunnies.” _

_ “So, you’re just gonna quit? Give up? That’s not the Jack Hunter I know!” _

_ “I left you speechless, my work here is done. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a blonde supermodel to woo.” _

_ “Because I like you. I have fun with you.” _

_ “Real talk, are we soulmates?” _

As if angels from above clipped wings on his back, he dashed to the end of the course, his heart beating hard in his chest. At that moment, he felt as though he could walk through water or float among the clouds. Jack completed the course with pure determination coming in at 4 minutes, 16 seconds, a new record time. 

Ryan or Private Ellis was the last one to complete the course. Jack, still gasping for air, waited with bated breath for the results. Ryan tried to beat Austin’s time, but the balance beam was his downfall and got knocked off by one of the sandbags.

He finished at 5 minutes, 32 seconds.

Eric ran up to Jack and tackled him to the ground, “Oh yeah, that’s my Jacky boy! Booyah! Who’s your Booyah?”

Jack let out a whimper, “Oof, there goes my back.” Eric apologized and picked his roommate up in his arms, “Sorry! I got a little too excited.”

Jack rubbed circles on Eric’s back, he answered weakly, “Thanks for the support.” 

Everyone, except Ryan, gave Jack a round of applause. For the first time in a while, Brooke looked at Jack without any ounce of contempt or disapproval.

He truly felt like a King - and he really needed the endorphin boost. 

Bill shook Jack’s hand and congratulated him, “Jack, you went out looking like a man on a mission. We like that fighting spirit. What do you think, Ms. Brooke?”

Brooke took in his messy appearance, “You’re full of surprises, Private Hunter. I’ll be keepin’ a close eye on you.” She moved some of his unruly hair away from his cheek, subtly caressing him as she did so. Jack felt good feeling her freshly manicured nails brush his skin, but for whatever reason, that initial “spark” he felt was missing.

“You guys know the drill, keep trying to win the heart of this fine young lady when you take her out. Otherwise, the next elimination might be yours. Dismissed!”

Jack had no idea what to plan for his date. He knew that what he was doing before wasn’t going to impress Brooke anymore. His mind was all over the place, even with scoring that victory. Jack decided to keep things simple and just go for a stroll on the boardwalk. As he waited for Brooke’s arrival, Eric was in the kitchen making a really big sandwich - Jack was reminded of the kind Shaggy and Scooby would eat. Come to think of it, Eric would definitely be Shaggy and Jack himself would probably be Fred.

Eric was about to take a bite out of that sandwich until he noticed Jack’s eyes on him, “Oh, I’m sorry, man, you want some?” Jack looked at the sandwich, not aware he was licking his lips.

“What’s in this?” He poked at the sandwich, “How many calories are in it?”

Eric shrugged, “Everything but the kitchen sink and I have no idea.” He then split the sandwich in half, giving the cut portion to Jack. Eric took a bite out of his half, speaking with a mouthful, “Mmmm, you gotta try this, so good.”

Jack’s mouth curved with disgust but slowly he took a small bite out of it. After a few chews, the bites grew bigger, “Mhmm, this is actually tasty.” 

Eric bobbed his head happily, he then reached for a napkin, “Hey, you got a little blob on your lip.” Jack leaned his face close to Eric’s so he could wipe it off. Their eyes remained locked on each other for a few minutes until they snapped out of it and let out nervous chuckles.

A knock on the door cut away the tension, “Well, um, time for my date. Guess yours is later, then?” was all Jack could muster.

“That’s usually how this whole thing works, yeah. Um, have fun. Good luck.” They stole a couple of glances at each other until Jack finally walked out the door.

Jack tried to be a little more upfront with Brooke when the topic of family came up, but there were still things he didn’t feel comfortable sharing. He settled for talking about how his parents divorced when he was little and his “complex” relationship with his step-dad. He hoped that would be enough for her.

Later that night, Jack was back in the room strumming his guitar. He wondered how Eric’s date with Brooke was going. 

He revisited that song he worked on with Eric a couple weeks back, “ _You know it ain’t fair, babe. Everyday we’re getting older...as long as I can hold ya and tell the world that you’re mine._ ” He looked down at the lyrics he scribbled in his notebook, the ones that Eric thought of impromptu, “ _Everytime I hold you, everytime I touch you, I can’t help but lose myself_ , _I can’t help but lose myself,_ _you are the one_...”

Jack heard the knob on the door twisting and placed the guitar back in the case. He was expecting Eric to open the door but it was actually Nick.

“Hey, dude, hope I’m not bargin’ in. I was just really digging your voice. I wish I heard an angel everytime I came out of the bathroom.”

Jack’s eyes shifted a bit, “Um, thanks?”

“If I may ask, dude, who’s it for? I like to play guitar a bit too. Who knows? Maybe we could, like, start a band or somethin’. We’re both talented and good-lookin’ dudes. The babes would be all over us.”

“Nah, that’s ok. I mostly play for myself… I’m not great with big crowds.”

Nick heartily laughed, “Awe, you’re one of those shy dudes! I can totally be the frontman, I don’t mind! You could be, like, the silent guitarist, like Slash.”

“Dude, I’m no Slash. Not even in my dreams.”

Nick pulled out a marker from his pocket and then took Jack’s hand, scribbling on it, “In case you ever wanna jam, here’re my digits.” He put the pen away and then leaned against the wall, “So, who’s the lucky gal?”

Jack suddenly felt like a deer on headlights, “Ummm, uhhhh… it’s for Brooke. But, please don’t tell her, it’s a surprise.”

“Ahhhh, gotcha! No worries, mi compadre, I’ll keep it on the DL.” Nick walked around Jack and Eric’s room, checking out their stuff, “You dudes keep this room tidy, mine’s a pigsty. I’m surprised Ryan hasn’t killed me in my sleep, he’s like such a priss. Anyway, I’ll leave you to your song, I’m gonna hit the hay. Night, dude!”

“Night, Nick, uh, dude.”

Nick cheekily stuck out his studded tongue and flashed a “hang-ten” sign. Jack felt his forehead with the sudden heatwave that came on to him. 

_ Jesus Jack, Nick talks to you about nothing for a few minutes and suddenly you’re striking a fever? Brooke finally stopped being the Ice Queen and you hardly felt anything? What gives? _

He opened up the window, which faced the beach, the cool sea breeze filled his lungs and his anxiety went down a bit.

At some point in the evening, Jack fell asleep on the couch downstairs reading a book. It wasn’t until Eric returned from his date that he woke up.

Eric gently rocked him, “Hey, sleepyhead! Hey!”

Jack’s eyes fluttered open, “Huh? Eric?”

“Wouldn’t you be more comfy in your bunk?” Eric had a glass of water in his hand.

Jack checked his surroundings and yawned, “Oh… I didn’t even realize. How was your date?”

Eric took a seat next to him, “It was alright, we went parasailing but the boat we rented stopped working at some point so we ended up just goofing off on the beach. We even played some volleyball with some beachgoers, and the ball hit me a few times.” Eric pointed at his red forehead, “But it was fun.”

If he wasn’t so tired and achy, Jack would’ve gotten Eric a bag of frozen peas for his forehead. His butt was practically glued to the damn couch, “Sounds like a great time.”

Eric smiled and continued drinking his water. Jack kept his gaze on everything other than his roommate. The longer they sat there in silence, the more Jack’s anxiety crept on him. He felt his palms sweat and kept wiping them on his shorts.

_ Why isn’t he saying anything? Eric can never go five minutes without talking. Something’s off… _

Eric finished the last of his water and got up to wash the glass. Out of nowhere, Jack bolted up from his seat, “Eric!”

He turned to face Jack, pretending to answer a call, “You rang?”

Jack decided to play along and “picked up” the call, he used a banana as his phone, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something stupid I said.”

“Mhmm, what stupid thing?” Eric paced around the kitchen.

“Um, the stupid thing about that kiss being a one-time-only thing.”

“Ah, you mean the kiss that I was sworn to not speak about. That one?”

“Yes.”

“I see. What about it?”

“W-well… you see… I didn’t actually mean it, you know? What I said.”

“I wouldn’t stress over it, if I were you. I understand.”

Jack put the banana back with the other ones and walked up to Eric, he then put Eric’s “phone” down.

“Can we continue this conversation upstairs?” Eric nodded and they both went to their room. Eric sat on Jack’s bunk, waiting for him to speak, now Jack was the one pacing.

_ Don’t keep him waiting you idiot, just do it… _

Jack also sat on his bed, sitting very close to Eric, they locked eyes again. With shaky hands, he cupped Eric’s round face and leaned in to plant his lips onto Eric’s.

Eric pulled away for a moment to say, “You could’ve just asked.”

Jack’s only response was to reel him back into the kiss.


End file.
